Just one episode made the suddenly hot "I AM BOXER" reveal hidden details.
The large-scale blockbuster boxing survival show that premiered last week, tvN "I AM BOXER" (directed by Lee Won-woong, writer Kang Sook-kyung), ranked fourth in TV non-drama buzz and first among Friday variety shows in the K-content competitiveness analysis firm Good Data Corporation FUNdex survey results. The master Ma Dong-seok ranked ninth in the non-drama participants category, placing him in the top 10. (Nov. 25, 2025)
In addition, the rating for episode 1, which aired on Friday the 21st, averaged 2.7% in Seoul metropolitan households and peaked at 3.1%, making it first among cable and general programming channels in the same time slot. The challenge, passion and fighting spirit of the 90 boxers, the big match between Asia's top kickboxing fighter Myung Hyun-man and UFC powerhouse Jung Da-woon, and other special matchups found only on "I AM BOXER" stimulated dopamine and have spread by word of mouth among viewers. We looked into the advisory committee members who enhance the program's completeness and the directing points.
First, renowned figures in Korea's boxing world have come together as advisory committee members to serve as a strong support force for Ma Dong-seok and the production team. Former WBA junior flyweight champion and International Boxing Hall of Famer Yoo Yoom-young, current chairman of the Korea Boxing Federation review committee and CEO of Korea Promotion Song Nam, former national boxing light-weight representative and four-time consecutive National Sports Festival champion Kim Ji-hoon, 13-year super heavyweight national representative and four-time National Sports Festival champion Kim Do-hyun, and former national boxing performance analyst Lee Byung-gyu participated.
Also joining were 2011 Asian Boxing Championships light-flyweight gold medalist and 2014 Asian Games light-flyweight gold medalist Shin Jong-hoon; 2011 and 2019 Asian Boxing Championships heavyweight gold medalist and 2014 Asian Games light-heavyweight silver medalist Kim Hyung-kyu; and former KBC middleweight Korean champion Lee Kyu-won, bringing the advisory panel to eight members who have teamed with Ma Dong-seok to give their best for the program. In addition, 18 referees affiliated with the Korea Boxing Association, KBF and KBM have joined forces to determine the best athletes.
In the ring, only oneself, the opponent and the outcome are decided. Director Lee Won-woong said, "So we did our best to capture the boxers' expressions well. We even chose filming methods rarely used in broadcasts and placed microphones in absurd places to capture the fighters' trembling breaths. After those efforts, I am confident we realized boxing with much stronger expressiveness than live-focused boxing matches. Compared with the mixed martial arts or boxing broadcasts familiar to viewers, you will feel how much more dramatic and vivid it is."
The thrilling stories of boxers fighting to survive, the advisory committee and referees made up of boxing experts, and the production team's efforts to vividly capture the dynamic scene offer a different level of enjoyment. tvN "I AM BOXER" will air episode 2 tomorrow (28th) at 11 p.m. (End)
Photo credit: tvN < [Photo]
[OSEN]