“Doctor Mike” Varshavski does not need professional boxing. He has a lot on his plate.
He is a successful family doctor in Summit, New Jersey. And he became (and still is) an internet concern in the mid-2010s, when People Magazine named him the Sexiest Doctor Alive. More than 10 million people subscribe to his medical-themed YouTube channel, on which he promotes a healthy lifestyle.
Boxing? It was a welcome accident, one that provided him with another platform to spread his gospel and gain experience that he believed would make him a better doctor.
Varshavski, who made his professional debut against Chris Avila in a four-round match on Jake Paul-Anderson Silva’s pay-per-view card on Saturday in Glendale, Arizona, has been in a dark place for his first year. his at medical school in New York more than a decade ago.
His father, a medical doctor in Russia, moved the family to the United States when Mikhail was 6 years old. However, he had to return to medical school in his adoptive country to practice there. His mother, a math professor, sweeps the floors to make ends meet while her husband earns his degree.
Finally, their lives are back on track and their bright son is on his way to follow in his father’s footsteps, Varshavski’s mother passed away from leukemia.
“It was a difficult year for my father and me,” Varshavski told Boxing Junkie. “… Now that my dad has graduated and started a business, it’s time for them to enjoy the fruits of his labor. But in that year, perhaps a year and a half, my father lost his mother, father and wife for more than 20 years.
“It was a really dark time for us as a family. I couldn’t do much at that time. I can’t physically. My mental health has been affected. “
That’s when, out of desperation, he decided to try his hand at the boxing craze for strength training that continues to this day, meeting his longtime coach – Thomas Baldwin – in the process.
Varshavski got into the sport and spent years training to stay in shape, even training as his skill level improved. However, after a decade of experience, he still has no intention of competing.
Then, Baldwin points out something: YouTubers like Jake and Logan Paul are using their fame to get into hit boxing. Why not Dr. Mike?
Varshavski, a 6-foot-3 light heavyweight, entered his only amateur bout this past May, overtaking influencer iDubbbz. The doctor’s hobby turned into a passion and then a second career.
“My coach said, “Mike, I think you have the opportunity to do something great, and I am ready to go with you on that journey,” Varshavski said. “…He didn’t just think I could do it. He just thinks he believes in my skills so much that he thinks there’s no one we can’t stop, we can’t beat. And I believe him.
“Thomas is a great boxing coach, coach, friend, brother, all of that. And if he told me I needed to change something, if he thought I was ready for something, then I put my trust in him.”
An obvious question: Why would a doctor who understands the dangers of boxing – especially to the brain – be willing to step into the cauldron?
One, Varshavski loves boxing. It’s part of who he is now. And, two, he has been and continues to work hard to learn how to protect himself as much as possible in an inherently risky sport.
As he says, life is dangerous; The goal is risk management.
“The goal here is to encourage people to live to their full potential, stay active, take a boxing class, hit heavy bags, be conscious of their fitness. And all the benefits they will get from that will be immeasurable,” he said.
“There are risks in everything we do. We just need to be aware of those risks. I discuss with my patients the activities they participate in. I tell them the risks, I don’t tell them what to do. I don’t tell them they need to stop doing something or start doing something.
“I tell them the risks and as conscious adults, they will make their own decisions.”
Varshavski is sometimes more of a fighter than a doctor in the interview for this article. For example, he could be any of the 10 rated candidates talking as he describes training camp fought with Avila and he feels he is at the top of his game.
At the same time, he is unique. Of course, he wants to be successful in the ring, but he doesn’t dream of becoming a weight king. And he certainly doesn’t need the money. He’ll be giving away his entire wallet on Saturday to Harlem’s Men’s and Women’s Club.
No, Varshavski is a one-of-a-kind: a hybrid medical professional and a social media star who happens to be boxed. What message does he want to send? You can do or do anything you want if you put your heart and soul into it.
“I want to show people that you are not just a single word in the dictionary,” he said. “I’m not just a boxer, I’m not just a doctor. First of all, I am a person capable of many things. And so are all my spectators, patients and friends.”
