Joey Essex is set for his second fight on Saturday evening, with Daniel O'Reilly, better known as Dapper Laughs, standing in front of him at Swarmz Vs Ambush. It is the latest step in a run that has taken the 36-year-old from reality TV fame into a boxing ring, and Essex has already made clear he wants the journey to continue.
Essex first became a household name through ITV's The Only Way Is Essex and Channel 4's Educating Joey Essex, but his move into boxing has added a different kind of attention. He was linked with Misfits sports promotion company and is being guided by his uncle and trainer Tony Sims, who has worked with Anthony Joshua and Ricky Burns.
The timing matters too. Essex has not waited long to return after his August 2025 debut, when he fought Portuguese influencer Joao Barbosa and beat him on points. That result gave him a first foothold in the sport, but the bigger question now is whether he can build on it against a new opponent with a very different profile.
Essex says the dream has already gone further than he expected
Essex has been open about how surreal the journey still feels. Reflecting on how far he has come, he said: “Did I write that I was going to be headlining a show? No, I didn't write that. So I've actually gone past my dreams”.
He has also spoken about why boxing has become such an unexpected but meaningful part of his life. Essex said: “My family are quite huge in boxing, it kind of stems in my blood. So kind of makes sense for me, with my name, to be involved.”
For a figure known far more for television than combat sports, that is the clearest explanation of why he has kept going. He is not pretending to be a career fighter. He is treating the ring as a challenge he wanted to answer.
Why the second fight matters
This is not just about novelty. Essex has said he feels that if he had never tried boxing, he would always have wondered what might have been. That is what gives the bout against Daniel O'Reilly a little more weight than a simple celebrity spectacle.
He has also made it clear that he is not looking to stop with smaller-name opponents. Essex has spoken about wanting bigger fights at Misfits, including KSI, Logan Paul and Tommy Fury, which shows the direction he wants his boxing career to take if the performances keep coming.
At the same time, Tony Sims has offered a sharp counterpoint. His view that Essex “should never be a boxer” and is “too pretty” underlines the scepticism that still follows him into the sport. That tension, between ambition and doubt, is part of what makes this fight interesting.
What to watch on Saturday evening
Essex himself appears to understand the line between serious challenge and entertainment. When asked about the spectacle around these events, he kept it simple: “Let's hope there's actually some boxing involved”.
That may be the right way to look at it. The audience will come for the name recognition, but the real question is whether Essex can keep showing enough discipline and composure to justify the next step. He has already gone further than many expected. On Saturday evening, he gets the chance to prove he is not done yet.
