YouTube star Logan Paul and aging boxing star Floyd Mayweather Jr. faced off in an exhibition fight airing on Showtime pay-per-view Sunday night. Mayweather landed far more punches, but Paul avoided a knockout. The bout was not judged and no winner was declared.
Logan Paul outclassed by Floyd Mayweather Jr., but he goes the distance
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Floyd Mayweather Jr. outclassed YouTube personality Logan Paul but couldn’t stop him inside the distance.
Mayweather and Paul boxed an eight-round exhibition Sunday night at Hard Rock Stadium. With the bout not being scored, no winner was declared.
The 44-year-old Mayweather used the ring skills that propelled him to world titles in five divisions and a 50-0 career record to frustrate Paul with solid lead and counter shots.
“You’ve got to realize I’m not 21 anymore but it’s good,” Mayweather said in the ring. “He’s better than I thought he was. Good little work. Tonight was a fun night.”
Mayweather, who won titles in the super-featherweight, lightweight, super-lightweight, welterweight and super-welterweight divisions, has said he will not return to competitive boxing. Instead, he will continue to tap into the pay-per-view market with exhibitions like his event with Paul.
Post-fight punch stats showed Mayweather comfortably ahead on total and power shots.
After the fight, Paul celebrated the accomplishment of going the distance against Mayweather.
“Shoot, man, I don’t want anyone to tell me anything is impossible ever again,” Paul said. “To get in here with one of the greatest boxers of all time, proves that the odds could be beat.
Paul weighed 189 pounds for the exhibition and attempted to use his 34-pound advantage by leaning on the shorter Mayweather. But Paul’s lack of boxing skills left him open to Mayweather’s short left hooks to the head and rights to the body.
“He used his weight and tried to tie me up,” Mayweather said.
Earlier, former Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chad Johnson boxed a four-round exhibition against multi-combat sport veteran Brian Maxwell. Like the Mayweather-Paul exhibition there was no scoring, but Johnson avoided a knockout loss after he was floored with an overall right to the head in the final round.
Johnson, in his first boxing event, survived the remainder of the round. The 43-year-old Johnson scored with a solid right to the head in the opening minute of the bout and landed combinations to the head in the second round. But in the minute rest before the fourth round, Johnson breathed heavily and rested his arms on the ropes.
“This was fun, I lost my virginity tonight,” Johnson said about his maiden boxing experience. “This is one for my bucket list. My life has always been about taking chances.”
Luis Arias won a split decision over former super-welterweight champion Jarrett Hurd and former super-middleweight titleholder Badou Jack stopped Dervin Colina in the fourth round.
Round 8: Mayweather, Paul close match on their feet
Round 8: Blood-seeking fans start raining down the boos as the round begins. Mayweather gets Paul in a headlock midway through the round. They hold each other for a few frames more.
The crowd grows increasingly restless. Paul taunts Mayweather in the final seconds, saying, “there goes your legacy” as he looks off into the distance with his glove.
Mayweather reminds him of his undefeated record of 50-0. The final bell rings. Mayweather outlands Paul in punches 43-28.
A winner is not announced, as were the terms when the exhibition was originally announced.
Round 7: Tired Mayweather, Paul hold onto each other
Round 7: Paul clubs Mayweather with half-hearted body shots to kick off the round. But none of the shots are enough to even get Mayweather thinking about reeling.
Mid-way through the round, the two violently hold each other and are admonished by the referee.
With the fight on the line, neither fighter lets it all out. Will either have a flare for the dramatics in the final frame?
Round 6: Both fighters slow down, show signs of fatigue
Round 6: The pace slows down in the first 90 seconds of the round.
Perhaps the 44-year-old Mayweather, a grandfather now, is a bit gassed too. Paul, just 26 years of age, is equally tired, and hugs the Hall of Famer any chance he gets.
Toward the end of the round, Mayweather momentarily punches a circle around him. It was an anticlimactic frame after Mayweather had so much momentum in the fifth.
Round 5: Mayweather mauls Paul with left hooks
Round 5: Mayweather mauls Paul with left hooks as his opponent drops his guard within the first minute of the round.
An uppercut connected against Paul, who took it like an oak tree. Vicious straight rights follow. Mayweather’s timing is impeccable. He keeps chopping away. Paul’s fall may be near.
Round 4: Mayweather picks up steam as Paul shows signs of fatigue
Round 4: Mayweather bounces off his stool with a pep in his step. He presses forward with mean intent in mind. He is clearly offensive-oriented and throws a series of straight right hands and left hooks that hurt Paul.
The YouTuber appears to be more fatigued, but he was able to muster a two-punch combo. It was not enough to win the round. Mayweather is picking up more steam as the second half of the fight begins.
Round 3: Mayweather, Paul pick up intensity with a late surge in blows
Round 3: Mayweather appears a bit frustrated to begin round three as Paul presses his weight against him.
But he quickly changes the tone by flashing his wide smile after connecting with several body shots. He also lands a beautifully timed left hook as Paul was connecting with a right uppercut. The intensity picks up in the final round, and now we have an entertaining and intriguing exhibition!
Round 2: Mayweather uses technique to make Paul work
Round 2: Paul is six inches taller and 35 pounds heavier and he is clearly the bigger boxer. But he is not more skilled.
Mayweather is using his technique and feints to make Paul overwork to even think about connecting with a punch.
Mayweather, however, is throwing infrequently. The inactivity in the first six minutes is similar to his heyday. The pace picking up on both sides would be welcomed.
Round 1: Mayweather, Paul trade blows during entertaining three minutes
Round 1: Mayweather walked in to the ring with an OnlyFans hat. Paul wore a graded Charizard card adorned to a chain. Let’s get weird. A YouTuber versus a once-in-a-generation Hall of Fame boxing champion.
Mayweather begins the first round by measuring up Paul for the first 60 seconds. The difference in size is massive. Paul connects the first significant shot of the round with a right hand more than a minute in. Mayweather connects with a left. The round ends in a flurry in the final 10 seconds by Paul, but none of the punches clearly connect. A nice, entertaining for three minutes.
Badou Jack batters, bruises Dervin Colin to the body, scores 4th round KO
Badou Jack had been preparing for revenge in a rematch with Jean Pascal on Sunday night, but the fight had to be scrapped after the WBA light heavyweight champion Pascal got popped for using four different steroids last week.
Jack (24-3-3, 14 KOs) instead had to use his pent-up frustration and anger to batter and bruise late replacement opponent Dervin Colina (15-1, 13 KOs), with the former two-division world champion scoring a fourth-round knockout of his Venezuelan counterpart.
Jack scored three knockdowns in the fourth round with a wide variety of shots attacking the body, with the last punch being the decisive one to land a victory in his 30th career bout.
Jack outlanded Colina 42-17 in punches. Eighteen of those punches were to the body.
Colina didn’t look ready to fight. He was deducted a point both in the second round and third rounds for excessive holding. Colina didn’t even connect with a jab in the fight.
Jack might not wait for Pascal to get his act together for a chance at revenge. The 37-year-old said after the fight that he’s considering moving up to the cruiserweight division for his next bout.
â€The Kings’ chronicles golden age of boxing, part one premieres on Showtime following Mayweather vs. Paul
Once the exhibition match between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Logan Paul concludes, Showtime will debut the first episode of its four-part docu-series “The Kings.”
The trailer, which can be seen below, will make you want to run through a wall.
The program covers the revered rivalries between the quartet of Roberto Duran, Marvin Hagler, Thomas Hearns and Sugar Ray Leonard in the 1980s, and the nine fights that emerged from the foursome during boxing’s golden age.
Here are the records each Hall of Fame fighter finished with in the group:
Leonard 4-1-1, Hagler 2-1, Hearns 1-2-1 and Duran 1-4.
“These four men defined an era in boxing,” Showtime Sports president Stephen Espinoza said. “Their individual stories, forever linked by the spectacular battles they waged, reflect a tumultuous period in American culture and history. â€The Kings’ takes the viewer beyond the glorious action of some of history’s most memorable prizefights to illuminate each man’s dramatic journey and the societal context that made them stars of sports and popular culture.”
Luis Arias shocks Jarret Hurd in slugfest soaked in rain
Jarrett Hurd and Luis Arias had to fight under the rain at the Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday in Miami Gardens, Fla., engaging in a brutal slugfest that featured a storm of punches.
The underdog Arias ended up surviving the blood bath and drama and scored an upset split decision and the biggest victory of his career over the former unified super welterweight champion Hurd.
Arias (19-2-1, 9 KOs) shook off a knockdown that shouldn’t have been ruled as one and was awarded scores of 97-93 and 96-93, while one judge had it 95-94 for Hurd (24-2, 16 KOs) in the 10-round middleweight bout.
The decision was an appropriate one for the 30-year-old Arias, who connected with 163 total punches — 153 of the power variety — compared to 151 total shots by Hurd.
As the second round started, a rain shower did so as well and caused a brief delay in the bout after Arias slipped. Several people swarmed the ring to dry the wet canvas.
Once the round resumed, the two slugged it out and made it rain with punches. Hurd got the better of the exchanges and cut Arias’ right brow.
The third round was just as bloody, only this time for Hurd.
Arias connected with an array of looping right hands, one of which opened a cut near Hurd’s left eye. By the end of the round, Arias’ trunks were soaked with red hues from the blood.
The 30-year-old Hurd appeared to drop the first four rounds to the more active, accurate and powerful Arias. By the fifth round, Hurd showed a more sense of urgency and started stocking Arias. In the sixth, Hurd momentarily hurt Arias but the round ended before he could do more damage.
Hurd continued to be offensive-minded in the seventh, perhaps a bit too much, when he was warned for a low blow.
The rain resumed in the eight, but it didn’t slow the fighters, who continued to trade bombs with each other. The drama continued when Arias suffered a cut on his forehead shortly after losing his mouthpiece during an exchange.
The rain really dampened the mood in the ninth when the referee wrongfully ruled an Arias slip as a knockdown. A displeased Arias rose from the canvas and angrily continued his onslaught.
The aggressive Arias’ activity and determination in the final two rounds were the difference, despite the fact that he was the smaller fighter.
The fight was only the second for Hurd since May 2019 after he dropped his WBA, IBF and IBO super welterweight titles to Julian Williams.
The Arias bout was Hurd’s first fight as a middleweight.
Hurd is also a holder of 2018 fight of the year honors for his split decision win over Erislandy Lara.
He delivered another entertaining fight Sunday, only this time in a losing effort.
Chad Johnson gets knocked down during boxing exhibition
Former wide receiver Chad Johnson became the latest sports star to try his hand at boxing Sunday night when the 11-year NFL veteran fought Brian Maxwell in a four-round cruiserweight exhibition match as the opening undercard attraction of the Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Logan Paul pay-per-view.
Maxwell (0-3 boxing; 2-3 MMA) scored a fourth-round knockdown of Johnson in a fight that did not have an announced winner, as is the case for boxing exhibitions.
The tall and lanky Johnson came out in a southpaw stance and looked like a natural at times when he was able to connect with right hooks and a straight left. In short spurts, he displayed bouts of happy feet as if he was trying to shake off a cornerback from the line of scrimmage.
At the age of 43, Johnson still looked slim, ripped and perhaps even ready to run a route for a second-tier football league.
Johnson was knocked down with less than a minute to go in the fight when Maxwell connected with a looping overhand right hand that connected on Johnson’s chin. The six-time Pro Bowl pass catcher fell face first but recovered to finish the final 40 seconds of the fight on his feet.
It was the lone knockdown of the fight during which rounds were fought at two minutes apiece.
Both fighters had their arms raised at the end and hugged it out.
Johnson connected on 14 of 45 punches, with 10 of those being power punches. Maxwell connected on 17 of 68 punches.
A Twitter poll displayed on the PPV broadcast showed that 62% of fans thought Johnson won.
Most of America is rooting for Floyd Mayweather Jr. to beat Logan Paul
Floyd “Money” Mayweather Jr. reveled in his role as an antagonist throughout his professional career, and he laughed straight to the bank after his detractors bought his pay-per-views with the hope of seeing him lose, something he never did during 50 professional fights.
Ahead of his PPV exhibition match against the equally brash Logan Paul, the former heel has apparently evolved into a protagonist, according to a map curated by Sportsinsider.com based on geotagged Twitter posts.
Forty-two states in the US are rooting for Mayweather.
The most interesting development from all of this?
The Grand Rapids-born fighter is not getting any love from his home state of Michigan.
Mayweather vs. Paul pay-per-view experience starts off sloppy
The pay-per-view stream for the Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Logan Paul fight is off to a bad start before the first fight even began.
The Showtime support Twitter account put out the following statement at 5:12 p.m. PDT:
“If you are having issues watching the fight on http://showtime.com or on the SHOWTIME app, please try again in 10 minutes. We are working to resolve the issue.”
The Times experienced a feed that wasn’t working as well.
What Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Logan Paul are saying before their exhibition matchÂ
Floyd Mayweather and Logan Paul met for a face-off earlier this week at the former Versace Mansion in Florida. Here is what both fighters had to say about their exhibition during their media availability.
Floyd Mayweather Jr:
“It’s going to be fun. It’s what I do. There’s a difference between being a YouTube fighter and an elite fighter. I’m a fighter and I don’t worry about anything. I’ve been a professional for 25 years and I’ve fought the best and seen every style and I always came out on top.
“Why not fight Logan Paul? He’s huge on YouTube. He has a huge following. Before I even knew about YouTube, I was huge in boxing. And when you bring his world with my world, man it’s going to be crazy.
“I’m glad he’s got confidence. I’m glad he believes in himself. Last time I checked, all 50 fighters that I faced, they all said the same thing.
“Most of the time when I go out there and fight, I’m giving up 20 pounds. When I was fighting at 140, the guys I was fighting were going up to 160. When I was fighting at 147, guys were going up to 167 within 24 hours. I don’t really worry about the weight. Once again, fighting wins fights.
“I look at it as going out, having a good time, and entertaining the people. I do what I want to do, when I want to do it, and how I want to do it.
“I’m happy that we are able to go out and that someone can get knocked out. When someone can get knocked out, it’s a winner.
“I never worry about the height or size, it’s all about the skills. That’s one thing about Floyd Mayweather, I’ve got skills.
“The boxing was the mashed potatoes. I guess these guys now are the gravy. I retired from boxing, but I didn’t retire from entertainment or from making money.”
Logan Paul:
“I think I have to knock him out. Someone’s getting knocked out. Someone’s gonna quit.
“I have to ask myself: Am I affected by this? You look around, all these people, the hot lights, all this pressure. You want to do well. Your friends are watching, your family is watching. And I always want to be real with myself. Am I affected by this? But I love this. This is me in my element. This is what I came out to Hollywood to do when I started making videos. That was the precipice. This was the end game. This is what I wanted and signed up for. It’s all exciting for me.
“I didn’t choose boxing, boxing chose me. I got challenged to box, and I answered that challenge. I kind of fell perfectly into the sport. Truthfully, boxing is easier on the body than MMA. MMA is hard. I got bad knees. I’m old now. I’m aging. My upper body is strong and I have dense bones. My strength is all in my upper body.
“I expect he got a haircut. He probably trimmed his beard up a bit. He’s probably not wearing a hat. I mean if he showed up with a hat, I might have to take it. I’m excited. It’s a fight, and anything can happen.
“I visualize everything. I’ve seen it all before it happens. The only thing that I didn’t visualize was how calm, how lonely and tranquil it is at night. That two hours before I go to sleep and in my hotel room and I’m alone with my thoughts. That’s when it’s real and I think this is going to get serious.
“I’m going to fight my heart out. That’s the beautiful thing about this sport. In almost any other business, experience is going to trump everything else. But this is a fight, and anything can happen.”
“Last time we were at this mansion we were having a party. Who knows if we’ll do it again. One thing at a time, you know?”
Betting odds for Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Logan Paul
How do you bet on a scripted fight that will not be judged, an official winner won’t be announced, yet knockdowns and knockouts are allowed?
Floyd Mayweather Jr. is listed anywhere between a -800 and -2100 favorite by a variety of sportsbooks to best Logan Paul.
Paul is listed anywhere between a +450 and +1000 underdog.
Some sportsbooks are even offering prop bets for the fight, including: if the fight will go the full eight rounds; who’ll be the first to bleed or bite each other; whether Logan Paul will be knocked down, lose his mouthpiece or hit Mayweather with a low blow; and whether Jake Paul, Logan’s brother, will enter the ring during a round of a fight.
Former world champions Badou Jack, Jarrett Hurd to fight in â€real’ boxing matchesÂ
The Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Logan Paul pay-per-view will not exclusively be a circus-like event.
There will be real boxing matches.
Two-division world champion Badou Jack (23-3-3, 13 KOs) will take on late-replacement opponent Dervin Colina (15-0, 13 KOs) in a 10-round bout.
Jack was supposed to fight in a rematch against Jean Pascal for the WBA light heavyweight title, looking for an opportunity to avenge his 2019 split decision loss to the Canadian-Haitian, but Pascal got popped for taking four banned substances last week and has since been taken off the card.
“I have a little anger that might get taken out on Colina, but it’s nothing personal, just business that I’m here to take care of on Sunday night,” Jack said.
“He’s an undefeated guy so he’s going to come in here with a lot of confidence looking to show off his power. We’ll be ready, though, regardless how he comes into the fight. I had great sparring like always, so I’m prepared for what he’s going to bring.”
In a separate fight, former unified super welterweight champion Jarrett Hurd (24-1, 16 KOs) will take on Luis Arias (18 -2-1, 9 KOs) in a 10-round middleweight bout.
“Everyone knows I have unfinished business at 154-pounds. I’m not looking past Arias though. This fight is just a stop at middleweight because I’m going back down to take care of that business,” Hurd said.
“I have a chip on my shoulder. I think a lot of people forgot who I was. I had the best resume in the weight class. Come Sunday, I’m going to remind everyone who I am.”
Former NFL star Chad Johnson makes boxing debut at age 43
You don’t play boxing.
It’s a common line thrown around by many people in the sport warning others about the perils and inherent risk that is involved in prize fighting.
Simply put, it’s not a game.
Yet, a slew of social stars and former athletes have been trying their hand at the sweet science lately, and now, you can add former NFL star and six-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Chad Johnson to the mix.
The 43-year-old Johnson will be making his boxing debut Sunday when he takes on Brian Maxwell (0-3 boxing; 2-3 MMA) in a four-round cruiserweight exhibition match as the opening undercard attraction of the Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Logan Paul pay-per-view.
“I feel really good. I’ve been using boxing to prepare for football throughout the years, but I’ve never done it to this magnitude,” Johnson said. “To prepare for an actual fight is something new. I’m facing a guy who does this for a living, so I’m not taking this lightly at all.
“I was always nervous before every kickoff. So I’d be a fool to say I’m not nervous going into something where I’m out of my element … One thing I’m extremely good at is when there’s lights, cameras and a crowd, going in there and entertaining.”
To prepare for his debut in pugilism, Johnson has been training with UFC star Jorge Masvidal, as well as the boxing world champion twins Jermall and Jermell Charlo.
Johnson weighed 179.5 pounds for the bout, and Maxwell tipped the scales at 183.5 pounds.
“I’m out of my element, so of course I’m approaching this fight humbly. He’s coming to knock my head off,” said Johnson. “Football is something I did all my life, that’s why I walked the way I did. I can’t be arrogant and take this fight lightly.”
Johnson finished his 11-year career with 766 receptions, 11,059 yards and 67 touchdowns from 2001-11. The former Santa Monica College product and second-round pick out of Oregon played 10 seasons for the Bengals and the final year of his career with the Patriots.
After being released by the Dolphins in 2012 during a dramatic episode of “Hard Knocks” on HBO, the receiver never played again in the league.
Tale of the tape between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Logan Paul
A tale of the tape between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Logan Paul
Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Record: 50-0, 27 KOs
Age: 44
Height: 5-foot-8
Weight: 155
Reach: 72 inches
Residence: Las Vegas
Birthplace: Grand Rapids, Michigan
Accolades: 2020 International Boxing Hall of Fame Inductee, five-division world champion, 2010-2019 fighter of the decade as voted by the Boxing Writers Association of America, victories against the likes of Oscar De La Hoya, Canelo Alvarez, Manny Pacquiao, Conor McGregor, Miguel Cotto, Juan Manuel Marquez, Shane Mosley, Marcos Maidana (twice), and Ricky Hatton, among others.
Logan Paul
Record: 0-1 as professional; one majority draw as an amateur, with both bouts coming against KSI
Age: 26
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 189.5
Reach: 76 inches
Residence: Los Angeles
Birthplace: West Lake, Ohio
Accolades: Nearly 50 million combined following across all social media platforms; his most-watched video on YouTube has 272 million views for a song dissing his younger brother Jake.
Exhibition rules for Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Logan Paul
The matchup between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Logan Paul will be a non-sanctioned, eight-round bout fought at three minutes each with 10-ounce gloves.
There will not be any judges from the Florida State Boxing Commission scoring the contest, and an official winner will not be read at the end of the match.
However, knockdowns are legal and a KO is up to the discretion of the referee.
The result of the match will not count on either fighter’s professional record.
How to watch Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Logan Paul fight
The eight-round exhibition between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Logan Paul will take place Sunday at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla.
The fight can be seen only on pay-per-view and can be purchased for $49.99 on either Showtime.com or Fanmio.com.
The telecast will be produced by Showtime and begins at 5 p.m. PDT.
Play-by-play commentator Mauro Ranallo, Hall of Fame broadcaster Al Bernstein and three-division champion Abner Mares will be handling the call for the fights.
Other principals on the telecast include veteran broadcaster Brian Custer. He will be joined by the likes of Desus Nice and The Kid Mero from Showtime’s program “Desus & Mero.” Brendan Schaub of Showtime Sports’ digital series “Below The Belt” will also offer commentary throughout the evening.
Commentary: Mayweather vs. Paul is boxing’s latest cash grab, but better days are ahead
“This is supposed to be an exhibition!” Apollo Creed’s trainer helplessly screamed seconds before the fighter succumbed to a fatal beating at the hands of Ivan Drago in “Rocky IV.”
Whether it be in real life or movies, boxing exhibitions have been regular billings since the first recorded prize fight in 1681.
Muhammad Ali, Joe Louis and George Foreman have engaged in the theatric form of fighting. Even Oscar De La Hoya once mixed it up with Shaquille O’Neal on national television for the sake of entertainment.
During the past year, high-profile exhibitions seem to be all the rage again in sweet science, and another high-profile sparring session will unfold in Miami Gardens, Fla., on Sunday night when Floyd Mayweather Jr. returns to the ring to fight social media star Logan Paul.
The cash king nicknamed “Money” is back for another heist because he’s selling the bout with the equally brash Paul as a “legalized bank robbery.”
There will be no judges scoring the eight-round event, an official winner will not be announced, but knockouts will be legal when the pugilistically inept Paul faces the greatest fighter of his generation without any headgear.
Former NFL star Chad Johnson is adding to the attraction and spectacle by making his boxing debut.