Dubai: It might only by an exhibition fight, but Floyd Mayweather says he will be taking it very seriously when he steps into the boxing ring come February 21 to face YouTube sensation Logan Paul at a yet to be disclosed location.
What started out as a joke has snowballed into a real-life soap opera with all the trappings of a hyped boxing match à la Mike Tyson vs Roy Jones junior
Mayweather, who boasts a 50-0 undefeated record, versus a 0-1 fighter would normally be laughed at by anyone. But this is some else altogether. People are taking it very serious — even ‘Pretty Boy’, ‘Money’, ‘The Best Ever’, all of which are self-appointed nicknames that Mayweather goes by.
Why? Because Solomon Engel, Founder and CEO of Fanmio, who are putting on the pay-per-view spectacle, said: “This is a real fight. And whoever wins, wins. Certainly there could be a knockout, yes. I think it will be a very competitive fight. It’s like the David vs Goliath story — and we all know the outcome of that. But we don’t know what the outcome will be here.
“Floyd trains extensively and I don’t think he’s going to go into this fight and not be prepared. He’s very excited for the fight. He sees some big opportunities here, and I don’t want to speak for him but I think we all feel this could be a very historical fight and a number of different levels.”
Mayweather himself has acknowledged that he must be prepared for all eventualities given the well-known fact that a lucky punch has caused some of the biggest upsets in the sport.
Add to that there is a huge contrast in experience between Mayweather and Paul, who has only fought once against YouTuber KSI who he lost to in a split decision back in Los Angeles in 2019. But the 25-year-old Ohio native, but holds an advantage over Mayweather with his age, height and weight. Paul is four stone heavier than Mayweather and stands six inches taller. In addition, he has also fought more recently than the American.
Mayweather, 43, has been out of action since his 2018 exhibition against Japanese kick-boxing star Tenshin Nasukawa — who he knocked-out in the very first round and pocked a cool £6 million from the contest in Tokyo.
Due to the vast physical differences, the fight will not take place at the same weight class, which is why it is an exhibition bout.
There are many unanswered questions. How many rounds and how long will they be? What size are the gloves? How will the wide gap in weight be accounted for? Will an athletic commission be involved? Fanmio Boxing have failed to provide details as of now.
By the numbers
18
Years difference in age between Mayweather 43 and Paul 25.
6
Inches height advantage Paul has over Mayweather in addition to being the heavier fighter.
2017
The year Mayweather officially retired from professional boxing after beating UFC star Connor McGregor in 10 rounds. However, he returned a year later to take on Japanese kick-boxer Tenshin Naukawa in an exhibition.
9
Million pay-per-views that Mayweather attracted during his 50-0 career alongside McGregor and Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao.
