YouTube mogul Logan Paul to challenge boxing legend Floyd Mayweather in an eight-round exhibition fight
Boxing matches between real fighters and celebrities are starting to gain traction.
Despite facing initial criticism for damaging the sport’s reputation and authenticity, this new branch of boxing has become so popular among fans, promoters, and even athletes that we are now presented with its most important matchup to date.
On June 6, YouTube sensation Logan Paul will be facing boxing’s greatest, Floyd “Money” Mayweather, in an eight-round exhibition boxing bout at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.
Mayweather is notorious in the boxing world for his masterful striking and dominance inside the ring — and he has the pristine professional record of 50 wins and no losses to date to show for it. That’s why it struck everyone by surprise when the match against Paul was made official. After all, Paul’s boxing record of one total fight, a loss against fellow YouTuber KSI, seems quite unimpressive when compared to Mayweather’s accomplishments and contributions to the sport.
Mayweather’s experience is an advantage, and he can be expected to deliver a more polished performance when put under pressure. However, Paul also has an advantage. The 6’2” YouTuber will be allowed to come in 30 pounds heavier than Mayweather as this fight is agreed to be a “catchweight” type, with no restrictions on weight limit.
At first glance, the mentioned tale of the tape might not appeal to hardcore boxing fans. Yet, there is more depth to the story, and the match is shaping up to be a complex one.
Although the result of this exhibition style fight will not count toward any fighter’s professional record, this is an eight-round bout that could be physically testing.
In the past two years since his loss, Paul has been working hard in training camps to improve upon his weaknesses and establish an explosive striking strategy. As well, Paul’s obvious physical advantages could give Mayweather trouble when it comes to defending against power shots and maintaining proper range throughout the fight.
Nonetheless, Paul could be prone to damage himself if he gets cocky with his offensive advantages and forgets to maintain proper defense, as Mayweather could go for body shots to slow down his pace and weaken his core. Mayweather is also famous for his impeccable defensive style of fighting – so it will be interesting to see whether Paul’s aggressive striking will be enough to crack his unbreakable shield.
Considering all aspects, Mayweather will have more at stake here, as a loss will still damage his reputation in the sport even though it won’t count toward his professional record. Nonetheless, he has been entertaining himself with thoughts of the fight’s big purse in addition to the excitement of the fight itself. Mayweather has projected that he will be making about $100M as guaranteed pay, with more money rolling in after pay-per-view buys accumulate.
Conversely, Paul is coming in as a huge underdog with nothing to prove. Of course, becoming the first man to ever beat Mayweather would give him incredible fame and further say in the world of combat sports, but it will be a win-win situation for him regardless as he will still make financial gain alongside Mayweather throughout the process.
No matter the outcome on Sunday night, this is a major milestone for celebrity boxing. With the best of the best in boxing and entertainment going head-to-head, rest assured that you will be in for a treat!
Cover photo composed by Nicolas Buck/The Ontarion with photos courtesy of Bryan Horowitz/Flickr under CC BY-SA 2.0 and Erik Drost/Flickr under CC BY 2.0.
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