In a year that’s been more unusual than any other year in recent memory, one of the most bizarre things to happen in the world of sports was the announcement that Floyd Mayweather Jr. will be boxing YouTube star Logan Paul in an exhibition bout.
As of January 26, Bovada had Floyd Mayweather set as the -1400 favorite with Logan Paul coming back as the +750 underdog.
Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs Logan Paul Event Details
The scheduled exhibition match between arguably the greatest boxer to ever live and a YouTube star who has competed as a professional just once, is set to take place on February 20 at a location that’s yet to be determined.
The announcement came shortly after Logan’s brother, Jake, fought former NBA player Nate Robinson in November. After Jake successfully won the fight via KO, celebrities and athletes from all corners of the country began to call out the Paul brothers. One of the most notable athletes to call out Logan Paul was NHL all-star Evander Kane who took to Twitter in an attempt to convince him to step inside the ring with him.
Instead, Logan Paul went straight to the top and booked a fight with one of the most decorated combat athletes in the history of the sport.
The event will be available to watch on pay-per-view.
Mayweather vs Paul Betting Odds
As you would expect when an undefeated 50-0 boxer schedules a fight with a YouTuber that has a professional record of 0-1, the opening odds had Floyd Mayweather set as a massive -3500 favorite. This means you would’ve had to bet $3,500 on Mayweather just to win a measly $100. Logan Paul, on the other hand, opened as a +1200 underdog meaning a $100 bet on him would’ve profited $1,200 if he manages to pull off a mind-bending upset.
While the opening odds may not be surprising, what would come as a shock to most sports fans is that the odds have actually shifted in Logan Paul’s favor. Two months after the bout was originally announced Mayweather is now down to a -1400 favorite while Paul is up to just a +750 underdog. Whether this means that sportsbooks are getting a large amount of bets on Paul to pull off the upset or they’re just begging to get some Floyd Mayweather action, you have to wonder if people think Logan Paul actually has a chance to win this fight.
Can Logan Paul beat Floyd Mayweather?
The immediate (and probably right) answer you come up with right away is no. Professional boxers, including all-time greats like Canelo Alvarez, Manny Pacquiao, Arturo Gatti, and Shane Mosley have tried to best Floyd Mayweather and not a single one of them came close to being successful. If they can’t do it, then how could an 0-1 YouTuber pull it off?
There are a few things that must be noted heading into this fight, one is the size difference. Floyd Mayweather has always fought boxers who are, at the very least, close to his height and weight. Professional boxing matches have to take place at set weight classes and if one of the two fighters isn’t able to make the set weight, the fight is called off. With this bout being an exhibition, there is no set weight class.
Floyd Mayweather is 5-foot-8-inches tall and weighs around 150 pounds. Meanwhile, Logan Paul is 6-foot-2 and weighs just over 200 pounds. That means that Paul will have six inches and fifty pounds on Floyd Mayweather. This is not only something that Mayweather has never had to deal with before, but it’s also something that the boxing world as a whole has hardly ever seen. While exhibition bouts have been known to happen, they have never taken place with such a legendary fighter like Mayweather taking on an opponent that has a significant size advantage.
Does that mean that Logan Paul has a chance? Probably not. But this fight will at least show us exactly how much weight classes matter when the skill level is worlds apart.
Logan Paul’s Boxing History
The world of celebrity boxing has started to explode over the past couple of years and the Paul brothers are a big reason why. Logan Paul fought fellow YouTuber KSI in an exhibition bout in 2018 which amassed a reported $2.25 million in pay-per-view buys which shocked the entertainment and combat sports world. Logan Paul and KSI fought to a majority draw but after seeing the success of the event, decided to have a rematch bout the following year in which Paul lost via split decision.
Despite losing via split decision in his professional boxing debut, many people inside boxing agreed that they noticed Logan Paul had some legitimate athleticism and skill for the sport. Logan’s brother, Jake, has also shown some talent as a boxer which was on full display in November of this year when he fought Nate Robinson and knocked him out cold.
It’s important to note that the fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr. is just an exhibition match, so no matter the outcome it won’t change Mayweather’s or Paul’s professional boxing record. Even if Logan Paul wins, in a once-in-a-millennium type of upset, Floyd Mayweather will still exit the ring as a 50-0 undefeated boxer.
Mayweather vs Paul Fight Details
The amount of rounds and the duration of each round has yet to be announced by Fanmio, the company that’s promoting the event, but they have confirmed that knock outs will be allowed and can happen.
A recent exhibition bout between Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr came under heavy scrutiny when the promoter went on record saying that knock outs weren’t allowed and were discouraged between the two fighters. This doesn’t seem to be the case for Mayweather vs Paul as Solomon Engel, the CEO of Fanmio, has told The Sun “”This is a real fight. And whoever wins, wins”. He went on to say “Certainly there could be a knockout, yes”.
This isn’t the first time that Floyd Mayweather has fought in an exhibition bout. He also fought Japanese kick boxer Tenshin Nasukawa in a three-round exhibition on New Years Eve of 2018. Mayweather made quick work of Nasukawa and made it look so easy that the fight received claims of being fixed. While Nasukawa had a much higher skill level than Logan Paul will, he was significantly smaller than Mayweather which gives this exhibition an added twist.
While we all know what the outcome of the fight most likely will be, we also know that most of us will tune in regardless. One thing can be known for sure, both fighters will walk away from the fight with much heavier pockets.