Don’t Try to Tell Logan Paul He Can’t Beat Floyd Mayweather

The YouTuber’s foray into boxing has been divisive, but he insists he’s approaching it with the utmost sincerity.

Logan Paul is a multifaceted entertainer, and he is promising to deliver an entertaining display on Sunday when he steps into the ring with Floyd Mayweather.

One of the greatest to ever slip his hands into a pair of boxing gloves, Mayweather is a decorated champion who is undefeated in 50 fights. That will not change this weekend—this bout with Paul is an exhibition. Viewers are in store for up to eight non-sanctioned rounds, with the added caveat that there will be no judges and an official winner will not be declared.

All for the price of $49.99.

Yet, for an exhibition overflowing with question marks and red flags, there is no doubt this will be a spectacle. With Paul, a lightning rod of controversy, as the centerpiece, the event should be entertaining. It is hard to imagine a scenario where this doesn’t end with someone’s hand raised, even if the decision is not official. And there is zero chance that Mayweather, who remains a boxing savant, is prepared to lose.

Knockouts are not prohibited, so Mayweather would walk away with the closest thing possible to a victory, at least in the eyes of the public, with a KO. His record and boxing reputation will remain unblemished, and the boxing realm will move on to the next exhibition. To believe any other outcome is possible, you would have to be named Logan Paul.

“Imagine if I catch him and his entire legacy is ruined by this podcaster?” says Paul, who, to his credit, is bringing new eyes to boxing. “Mayweather’s going to realize very quickly he’s over his head.”

Some physical attributes favor Paul. He is 6' 2", significantly taller than the 5' 8" Mayweather, and his reach is 76 inches, compared with 72 for Mayweather. Paul views his size as an advantage over his (much) more accomplished opponent.

“There are weight classes in boxing for a reason,” Paul says. “I don’t have that feeling of fear that most do. I don’t get intimidated, especially by this one human. He’s very good at boxing. Congratulations, round of applause. But I’m so much bigger than him. I’m so much younger than him. I want this way more than him. And if I win, I’m doing the impossible.”

Paul is 18 years younger, to be exact, although the 44-year-old Mayweather possesses an unrivaled amount of boxing wisdom, experience, seasoning and knowledge. But Paul is adamant that this will not only be a fight, but it will be one that is far more competitive than people expect.

“I’m well aware of the sentiment going into this fight,” Paul says. “Just like everything else in my whole life when people told me I couldn’t do something, I don’t care. I’m unwilling to bend or cater to what other people think I am. That’s fueled me to success in my life, and it’s going to fuel me to success in this fight.”

The crowd at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami is likely to cast Paul as the villain, a spot he relishes. And despite whatever antics are on display in the lead-up to the bout—the clip of Jake Paul stealing Mayweather’s hat quickly went viral, and both Paul brothers have a knack of garnering a strong reaction from people—Paul shared that he has grown considerably over the years, particularly since the infamous 2017 YouTube video that showed an apparent suicide victim. Paul believes the incident, which led YouTube to reduce his advertising rates and drop him from YouTube original productions, ultimately forced him to re-evaluate his values.

“The Tokyo incident in 2017, when I had the whole world condemning me for my actions, and rightfully so, I did have a look-in-the-mirror moment where I had to question who I was becoming,” Paul says. “Would I let the world influence who I am? Or would I dig deep, retrace my steps and become the person who I wanted to become? I chose the latter, and I refused to let a bunch of strangers define me.

“The internet doesn’t know me. They don’t know Logan, the kid from Ohio with a brother named Jake, a father named Greg and a mother named Pam. I’ve gone from humble beginnings to these larger-than-life circumstances. People can say what they want me about me, but I know what I’m doing with my life, and I know who I am.”

Paul hopes to redefine his image this Sunday through the beauty of competition. Entering this showdown, he is drawing confidence from his unrelenting work ethic.

“If I was born and bred to be one thing, it’s the hardest worker in the room,” Paul says. “I’ve been working hard, and I’ve been working smart throughout this whole camp, and I’m mentally fit. The puzzle will be complete on June 6.”

There is a healthy amount of skepticism surrounding this affair. But that does not bother Paul, who shrugs off concerns about the validity of the action that will be taking place in the ring.

“I don’t give a f---,” Paul says. “I’m putting my heart and soul into this, I’m putting in every fiber of my being, and it’s being done with fun. I’m aware of the magnitude of the opportunity, and I’m going to capitalize.”

This will not be remembered as a fight as much as a show. And while Paul has yet to announce what comes next for an encore—how does one follow up a fight against Floyd Mayweather?—he vowed to make this moment extremely memorable.

“I can’t see past June 6,” Paul says. “The only thing I’m focused on is my time in the ring and making this a f------ dog fight.

“I fully intend on upsetting the greatest boxer of our generation. I don’t think that’s something people want to miss.”

• Wertheim: Why Are the Paul Brothers Fighting Professional Athletes?
• Salvador: Jake Paul Reportedly Fighting Tyron Woodley
• Mannix: Three Questions From Canelo’s Defeat of Saunders

Justin Barrasso can be reached at JBarrasso@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @JustinBarrasso.