Doctor Mike's Boxing Career: From YouTube Sensation to the Boxing Ring (2024)

By Jocelyn Alano August 25, 2024 20:55

Photo by Stephanie Trapp/SHOWTIME

Mikhail "Mike" Oskarovich Varshavski became a household name in the world of social media and medical education as Doctor Mike. Varshavski was born in Saransk, Russia, on November 12, 1989, and later immigrated to Brooklyn with his family at six.

His dad, who went from physician in Russia to janitor here before he eventually recertified as a doctor, was a key factor in his road to becoming one. Like his father, who graduated fromtheNew York Institute of Technology in 1991, Mike completed a Bachelor of Science degree and Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine training at NYIT.

But his adventures in social media put him on the map. In 2015, Varshavski's Instagram account went viral when BuzzFeed published an article on him. Readers found his content so appealing that People magazine wrote about him as the Sexiest Doctor Alive. That also laid the foundation of his successful YouTube career.

Soon after, Varshavski launched his YouTube channel, "Doctor Mike," in 2016. By 2024, the channel had more than a whopping 12 million subscribers and over a billion views. He specializes in medical education, health myth-busting, and delivering science-based hope and inspiration to the public.

Varshavski's YouTube channel has become so popular thanks to his knack for combining the smarts of a doctor with an engaging personality. Fueled by his opposition to pseudoscience, quackery, and health misinformation online, he comments on anything related to health, such as reviews of a medical drama or addressing your issues with facts.

When the novel coronavirus destroyed borders, Doctor Mike filled a vacuum of relevant information from an impartial source. He would host interviews with big names like Dr. Anthony Fauci and deliver clear updates on the virus and what preventive measures one should take. This made him more credible as a trusted voice in the online medical sector.

Motivation to Pursue Boxing

As his career in medicine blossomed and his channel grew, there was a hobby that Doctor Mike held dear to him, which he had kept hidden from you: boxing. He first stepped into the boxing world almost eleven years ago, thanks to an incredibly personal experience.

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In 2011, his mother succumbed to leukemia while Varshavski was in medical school, a loss that left him shaken. Leaving him in a dark place, it was hard trying to fathom the loss while keeping up with his medical education. He found comfort and purpose in boxing during this trying time.

This first meeting with boxing as a therapeutic form laid the foundation for a growing passion. Bowing his YouTube career and medical practice, the sport became a refuge for Varshavski. It was an experience dramatically different from his professional life as a physician and vlog content producer, possessing a unique energy that revitalized the young doctor. Furthermore, boxing presented a fantastic opportunity for Varshavski to employ his YouTube influence to spread the love of health and mental purity. As a physician, he knew of the numerous health advantages of this competitive discipline, such as cardiovascular fitness, stress reduction, peaceful focus, and others.

Boxing would allow him to preach this message by example, inspiring his fans to remain healthy and safeguard their physical and mental health.

Training and Preparation for the Boxing Ring

The change from casual sports fan to professional boxer necessitated Doctor Mike's commitment. Having accepted the challenge, Varshavski concentrated on a challenging training program designed by his head trainer, Thomas Baldwin, and his assistant, Steve Frank, an eleven-year veteran with ten years of pro sparring in the ring.

He outlined his ambition for consistency in training, "for the last year, at least, I tell you, specifically Thomas and I, we've just kicked it into high gear. I see the work that he puts into training me. He's got a family. He's got kids. He always makes sure to be here for me, which is always appreciated, as with many other jobs. Trust me, I have many. I make sure to be here every day. I've never once canceled on Thomas since we've been doing this, and I look forward to continuing that streak".

Juggling this rigorous training alongside his medical practice and content creation was no easy task. Regarding how he was able to juggle his demanding routine, Varshavski said: "The biggest edge I have—and it's funny that it has come to this as an edge at all—is that I don't have a big family and kids, so I am able to dedicate myself really well to the character of boxing."

He was adamant during his preparation not to lose sight of the moral implications behind his boxing crusade. Unlike other influencers who have dabbled into boxing with rhetoric centered on controversy and fake "beef," Mike highlighted his respect for the sport and his opponents.Such behavior distinguished him from other celebrity boxers and was consistent with his professional ethics as a medical doctor and the role model he sought to play for his fans.

First Professional Boxing Match

Having dedicated months to training, Doctor Mike fought for the first time in professional boxing on October 29th, 2022. The bout was a part of the undercard on Friday for this week's headline fight between Jake Paul and UFC legend Anderson Silva at Desert Diamond Arena (formerly Gila River Arena) in Glendale, Arizona.

Varshavski's first professional opponent was Chris Avila, a mixed martial artist with minimal boxing experience who held a record of 1-1 in professional boxing before the fight. He conducted a four-round cruiserweight fight, which made the task even heavier for Varshavsky in his debut.

Showtime pay-per-view televised the fight, which gave Doctor Mike a high-profile platform for his boxing debut. The high-profile setting made the event more challenging and thrilling, as Varshavski was set to demonstrate his skills in front of many people who had likely seen him initially on YouTube or in a medical capacity.

But all the preparation and commitment wasn't enough, as Varshavski's professional bow didn't go to plan. Chris Avila wins unanimously after completing all four rounds. The sources do not detail exactly how the fight played out, but Avila has a background in combat sports that certainly could have affected Night's strategy.

Results aside, Varshavski's competing in a professional boxing match of this caliber is an accomplishment alone. It was proof that he really liked the game and that he wasn't too big a star to test himself in unfamiliar territory.

Regarding his boxing career, Varshavski has stayed neutral on whether or not he will return. Before making his debut, he talked about wanting to fight other middleweights by saying, "I do believe there are a lot of fighters in my weight class, 180-190, that'll be very appealing challenges,".

Varshavski has stayed true to his nature and eschewed the tendencies of other celebrities-turned-boxers by concentrating on self-improvement, respect for boxing, and attempting to utilize his fame to benefit society. He keeps his distance from the more adversarial, fiery ways of being that weigh so heavily when we think about celebrity boxing.

This calculated manner indicates that if he were to box again in the future, it would more than likely be well thought out and mixed with pragmatism, taking into account his love for the sport and duties as a professional athlete who wants to influence society.

The entrance of Dr Mike into boxing is a confluence of medical professional privilege, internet power, and physical sport that has never occurred before. Although his debut as a professional did not happen the way he would have wanted, it shows us how passionate we can be about our lives and push ourselves to leap over any hurdle so that we, too, can tell our critics.

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