Spanish streamer Ibai Llanos will once again attempt to make Twitch history today, although unlike most streamers, he won’t be behind a setup in his room. Instead, Llanos will be streaming live from the Civitas Metropolitano soccer stadium in Madrid before nearly 70,000 people, all of whom who have traveled from across the world to the Spanish capital to witness Llanos’ legendary steamer vs. streaming boxing tournament.
Now in its third year, Llanos’ La Velada del Año, or “The Night of the Year,” is the Super Bowl of the streaming world and holds the record for most concurrent viewers on Twitch, drawing in a peak of 3.3 million last year. The free event is the culmination of months-long process where the some of the biggest streamers in the Spanish-speaking community, who typically know next to nothing about boxing, train with professionals and upend their normal routines to prepare for their debut on Twitch’s biggest stage.
In addition, the event is also a showcase of the might of the Spanish-speaking streaming community, whose creators occupy hugely influential positions on the worldwide streaming charts.
“You’re taking your favorite streamer out of their natural environment, which is being at their house playing games or doing whatever, and putting them in a boxing ring and telling them: ‘Okay, do what you can,’” Samy Rivera, a Mexican streamer in the Velada known as “Rivers,” told Gizmodo. “I think that really grabs people’s attention.”
How Ibai’s La Velada del Año works
The Velada on Saturday will feature six fights between streamers from Spain, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, El Salvador, and Bulgaria. It will also include Spanish pop star Abraham Mateo, who has songs with U.S. music giants like Jennifer Lopez and 50 Cent, as a boxer this year. U.S. hot tub queen Amouranth was originally set to debut as the first English-speaking streamer to fight in the event, but she pulled out earlier this week due to health problems.
In order to fight, streamers have to volunteer and be chosen by Llanos, as well as have an opponent similar to them in height, weight, and experience, Velada sports director Sandor Martín told Gizmodo. Martín is a professional boxer and is currently ranked number one in the World Boxing Council’s super lightweight class. He’s been working with Llanos since the first event in 2021, when he coached Twitch streamer Antonio “ReventXz” Pino.
The experience introduced him to the world of streaming. Before Martín was brought on to coach Pino, he didn’t know anyone on Twitch and wasn’t aware of the impact streamer-run events could have.
“I was simply going to help someone train in boxing and add my little grain of sand to the event,” Martín, who is currently ranked number one in the in the World Boxing Council’s super lightweight class, said. “But honestly, I had no idea what I was getting into.”
Although the Velada was created with a streaming audience in mind, professionals like Martín and others play a big role in shaping the event and making it sure respects the sport. Like in professional boxing, the event features a panel of three judges who oversee the fights, a referee, and a weigh-in. It will also count on an additional delegate to ensure the fighters follow all rules of the competition.
That doesn’t mean there aren’t big differences, though. Streamers in the Velada wear headgear, unlike professionals, and their gloves have a lot of protection, Martín explained. In addition, fights in the Velada are limited to three rounds, while professional fights can last up to 12. There are also clear differences in level and intensity.
How to turn a Twitch star into a boxer
After being tapped, streamers train for about three to four months with a boxing coach to prepare for the fight. Mexican coach Ronaldo López, who worked with Rivera and last year trained streamer Ari Gameplays, or Abril Garza, told Gizmodo that he develops a stage-based plan for the aspiring fighters.
The first month, he shows them the fundamentals of boxing, such as guarding, footwork, and how to dodge their opponent. This is important, López explained, and he repeats it over and over until they absorb it. Then, in the second month, he starts to work on strength and resistance training. In the third month, López puts his fighters through nonstop sparring three or four times a week.
“Sometimes they come in with a black eye and tell me their head hurts or something else, but good results are obtained through hard work. It’s a matter of sacrifice,” López said. “We’ve already done all the preparation we can and we’re just working on small details. What makes the Velada special is putting on a good show and for them to fight their heart out in the ring.”
While the Velada might seem like it’s just a big meetup between streamers and their friends, the creators take the event seriously, and their motivations for participating run deep. Maite Carrillo, who goes by “Mayichi” on Twitch and is fighting in the event, recalled that she was inspired by the fight between Garza and Spanish streamer Paracetamor, whose real name is Raquel de la Rica.
Garza and De la Rica were the Velada’s first female combatants last year, delivering an aggressive fight that many considered the best of the event. Before she saw their fight, Carrillo said she never thought she would be able to hit anyone.
“But after I saw them, I thought, ‘They’re warriors, they’re brave, and they’re capable,’” Carrillo told Gizmodo at the event’s official weigh-in on Friday. “I lived it so much and I enjoyed it so much that I said, ‘I want to be up there. I want to be like them.’”
More than just a Twitch boxing match
As it turns out, Carrillo will have her inspiration nearby. Although she’s hung up her boxing gloves, Garza will be returning to the Velada as a presenter. Garza is one of only few streamers on Twitch who knows what it’s to fight in the Llanos’ Velada. Last year, the Mexican streamer entered the ring to the sound of thousands screaming her name. At the time, though, the deafening sound didn’t register with her.
“It was like the voices were all far away because I was so focused on the face of my opponent and on the things I had to do,” Garza said in an interview with Gizmodo. “But then, once I finished the fight, it was like I was finally able to turn the volume up of everything around me and finally see all the people who were supporting me in that moment. It was crazy and it’s a once in a life experience.”
Garza said she was proud that the Velada was an event pioneered by a Spanish-speaking streamer, underscoring that it demonstrated that the community produced high-quality content.
“As time passes, more and more people are discovering Twitch, regardless of whether you play videogames or not,” the Mexican streamer stated. “People are starting to notice the platform we move.”
You can watch La Velada del Año III for free beginning at 1 p.m. ET on Llanos’ Twitch channel.
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