Hard Rock Stadium, Miami, Florida – Former five division world champion Floyd Mayweather (50-0, 27 KOs as a pro) admits he may have underestimated the in-ring abilities of Youtube star Logan Paul (0-1 as a pro).
They clashed in an exhibition fight on Sunday night, with the contest going the full eight round distance. Per the exhibition rules, there was no official winner.
Paul, 26, had his sole fight as a pro in 2019, when he lost a controversial six round decision to Youtube rival KSI.
The 44-year-old Mayweather retired from the sport in August of 2017, when he stopped Conor McGregor in ten rounds.
Paul held a near 35-pound edge in weight and he towered over the much shorter Mayweather.
Paul seemed to be gassing by the third round, but he was able to use his size and strength to hold Mayweather when necessary – which allowed him to avoid taking too much punishment.
Due to his size, he was able to take Mayweather’s punches as well.
“I had fun. You’ve got to realize I’m not 21 anymore,” Mayweather told Showtime Sports.
“But it’s good to move around with these young guys. Test my skills. Just to have some fun. [He’s] a great young fighter. Strong, tough. He’s better than I thought he was. I was surprised by him tonight. A good guy. Even though he doesn’t have much experience, he knew how to use his weight and he knew how to tie me up tonight.”
Regarding his future, Mayweather will talk it over with his team.
“We don’t know what the future holds, but I’ll talk it over with my team, and see where we go from there,” Mayweather said.
“You’ve got to realize, I’ve been in this sport 25 years. I understand I’m not 21, I’m not 25, but I had fun tonight.”