Misfits Boxing’s Man Behind the Decks: DJ Fricktion
Misfits Boxing burst onto the live event scene back in August 2022, where YouTube star KSI pulled off the incredible “2 fights 1 night”. Since then, Misfits Boxing events have been a spectacle in the Social Media world, bringing in millions of views across all platforms, and almost taking over TikTok every single fight night. While many fans think solely about the fighters, there’s another element to every event that is extremely important. Music.
We spoke to Misfits Boxing’s Resident DJ, DJ Fricktion, about everything Misfits, how he keeps the crowd engaged, and who he thinks is the best Influencer Boxer in the world.
So tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got involved in DJing and Music.
"I grew up in Dudley near Birmingham and started DJing when I was like 14 in high school. A few years later I moved to London to study music for my degree at Greenwich University and then I spent some time after university at a college in London called Point Blank Music College. After that I spent some time teaching music and DJing, so I've always been around DJing and Music Production. I spent a lot of time DJing in the West End in London, Internationally as well and making music in my studio."
DJ Fricktion performing live at Misfits Boxing: The PRIME Card
DJ Fricktion
Fricktion is also a producer and has produced for some pretty big names like Chris Brown and recently did Potter Payper’s new single - Midas, but he's neither a DJ first or a Producer first.
So how did you become the Misfits DJ? I hear you and Mams Taylor are pretty close friends.
"That’s correct. Mams is one of my closest friends of almost 20 years. I think many people don't actually know that we're so close. We've got this brotherhood and both have been integrated into each other's careers over the last 2 decades. When Misfits started up the conversation regarding music came up and it was a no brainer for me when I was asked."
In the high pressure environment of a live event that can last upwards of six or seven hours, sometimes more in terms of the Prime Card, you’d think that the music was completely planned in advance. However, that’s not the case. Fricktion likes to manage the music on the fly, responding to the crowd's energy to deliver the best experience possible.
"The music that I play in between rounds and fights isn’t always planned other than the actual ringwalk music for the fighters which we rehearse. I have an idea of what I'm going to play and I know what's definitely going to work and get a good reaction from the crowd. Your Sweet Carolines, etc, they're kind of guaranteed to get people going. So I have my folder of those kind of records that are just arena anthems, but in terms of the other stuff, I kind of freestyle it and try to feed off the energy of the crowd. Some music works better in different locations for e.g. when I played in Nashville I played more popular country music opposed to lets say Sheffield where I dropped a few UK house bangers."
DJ Fricktion & 50 Cent
DJ Fricktion
I also see you dropped a few songs by South Asian artists which have gone viral on social media. Tell us a little bit about that.
"Of course! I try to regularly include music from so many different backgrounds including my own as the crowd is so diverse which I love. I’m Indian and I’m a big advocate for the uprise in Asian Talent experimenting with Rnb, Hip Hop sounds in recent years such as Sidhu Moosewala (RIP), AP Dhillon and Chani Nattan etc. Initially I think people were shocked that Sidhu Moosewala was being played and then it eventually caught on which was cool af!"
Ring Walks are a massive part of every single Boxing event, and can potentially make a massive difference to the mental side of a fighter before they step in the ring. Talk us through the process of choosing the ringwalk music.
"Well the ringwalks are chosen by the fighters and their teams, so I’m given a list beforehand and then it’s on me to source the music unless the fighter himself has their own edit. Like the music, I also play the ringwalks for the fighters. I constantly have to be alert at all times because there's so much happening and the timing has to be perfect. The timing on those entrances have to be spot on because it has to be timed to the lighting, to the cue point of another song or entrance etc. There’s really a lot of work that goes into putting on these events by the entire team."
What’s been your favourite ringwalk(s) so far?
"My favorite ring walk has to be KSI’s entrance at the Prime Card. He had a Lamborghini, then he had the landlord Giggs perform the national anthem. That was special! But I really like some of Slim’s entrances because he comes out to some unorthodox music and also Pineda’s Undertaker Entrance."
You can view DJ Fricktion’s BTS of the Prime Card here:
Misfits Boxing returns to our screens on March 23, 2024, where we’ll see the first ever Outnumbered match as Fox the G takes on the Most Evil Tag Team in Nashville, Tennessee. The fights are sure to bring the hype, but with Fricktion behind the decks, we can be sure to expect an incredible event.
