What do Jaylen Brown, Robert Griffin III, and Ashton Hall have in common? They all got absolutely roasted on the track by IShowSpeed (real name: Darren Jason Watkins Jr.). The YouTube sensation, famous for his wild antics and unhinged energy, isn’t just about the memes; he’s a menace on the sprinting line. All three high-profile athletes faced decisive defeats at his hands. And he didn’t stop there. Recently, in front of a hyped Portland crowd, the 24-year-old threw down the gauntlet against a real sprinter—and left them eating his digital dust. Speed, chaos, and laughs, Speed, as he’s commonly referred to, has got it all.

So, what actually went down? In the midst of the Portland crowd, the YouTuber went head-to-head with Amir Ahmed. Confused about who he is? Let’s catch you up. Ahmed, a standout Portland State Viking, has his name etched in both indoor and outdoor record books. Indoors, he was part of the school’s record-breaking Mixed 4x400m Relay team that ran 3:46.69 at the Spokane Invitational on December 14, 2024, and helped the second-ranked Distance Medley Relay clock 10:07.81 at the Riverfront Invitational on February 7, 2025.

If we look at his outdoor endeavors, Ahmed has competed in events ranging from 400m to 800m, 1500m, and even 3000m, which shows that he possesses both the experience and the versatility of a true sprinter. Well, despite this packed resume, the athlete failed to defeat the YouTuber when they raced in front of the Portland crowd. The clip spread online quickly, but it was Ahmed’s own move that set the internet buzzing. He jumped on Instagram, posting the race with the caption: “Pov, You raced Speed and got cheated.”

Not stopping there, Ahmed uploaded a detailed video explaining how he got cheated by IShowSpeed in the race. “First of all, he [IShowSpeed] jumped the gun. He went on two when he was supposed to go when he said go. Now on the video, it might not look that crazy, but I had to move just when he started to move,” complained Amir. The second fault he cited was, “Number two, this man literally cut me off. I had no space to even catch up if I wanted to.” 

Clearly, Ahmed was unhappy with these factors that he felt gave him an unfair disadvantage. And thus, unsatisfied with this race, Ahmed called Speed out directly—“@ishowspeed let’s run it back on a real track, minimum 200m.” His comments did spread quickly as fans lined up to defend their favorite streamer.

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Fans defend IShowSpeed as Amir Ahmed accuses him of cheating

Cheated? More like Speed’s athleticism deserves a case study. Despite being “just a normal guy,” he’s been giving professionals a run for their money. Honestly, it wouldn’t be wrong to say he’s one of the fittest creators on YouTube. As one fan perfectly summed it up: “Got cheated? He smoked you fair and square brother.”

For context, IShowSpeed clocks a 40-yard dash in just 4.44 seconds, elite numbers for someone outside the track world. That makes Amir Ahmed’s defeat even more embarrassing to fans, considering his professional background. As one fan roasted him: “You done embarrassed the whole track community.” Another took it further, throwing shade at Ahmed: “Imagine basing your entire personality and life around being a runner, only to get beaten by a 20-year-old streamer. Lol.”

And for those unaware, Speed even tested himself against Noah Lyles in a 50m sprint. While he didn’t beat the Olympic champ, he came impressively close. Though Lyles’ victory was unsurprising, the Olympic champion did see some potential in Speed: “You should practice with me and then at the end of the week, we’ll race again,” he told IShowSpeed after the sprint. “You’ll be faster, you’ll know what to do, you’ll have the techniques, you’ll have the advantage. Then we can run the real man’s race, the 100 (meters).”

So when he left Ahmed behind, fans weren’t shocked. As one quipped: “Left you in the dust!  stick to distance buddy!” Finally, another fan dropped the hammer: “If you actually think you’re faster, then not being on a track wouldn’t be a problem straight L bro.”

Fans have always had his back, and Portland was no exception. The city buzzed with energy as crowds turned up to match the YouTube star’s vibe, swarming the streets to surprise him during his U.S. tour.