Everything you need to know about Floyd Mayweather vs. Logan Paul

Get ready for Sunday's exhibition boxing match between Floyd Mayweather and Logan Paul with theScore's comprehensive preview package.

How to watch

• When: Sunday, June 6 at 8 p.m. ET
• Where: Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida
• TV: Traditional cable pay-per-view
• Stream: Showtime or Fanmio pay-per-view
• Cost: $49.99 USD and CAD

Tale of the tape

Floyd Mayweather

Age: 44
Height: 5-foot-8
Reach: 72 inches
Weight: 160 pounds
Pro record: 50-0

Logan Paul

Age: 26
Height: 6-foot-2
Reach: 76 inches
Weight: 190 pounds
Pro record: 0-1

Rules

• Fight will consist of eight three-minute rounds
• Mayweather and Paul will wear 10-ounce gloves (after requesting a switch from 12 ounces), no headgear
• Exhibition is not officially sanctioned by the Florida State Boxing Commission
• An official winner will not be announced; no ringside judges
• Knockouts will be permitted; any stoppages are up to the referee's discretion

Why is this fight happening?

This photo, from a press conference promoting the 2017 bout between Mayweather and UFC star Conor McGregor, is the short answer to this question.

As for the long answer, Mayweather was rumored to have been approached about an exhibition bout against Paul last September, but talks didn't ramp up until November when the two fighters got into a war of words in the media and on Twitter. Paul said he'd beat Mayweather in a street fight before Mayweather offered to give Paul "the same treatment" he gave McGregor in their bout.

Mayweather hasn't competed as a professional since his 10th-round TKO over McGregor, and the last time he fought an actual boxer was in 2015 against Andre Berto. He participated in an exhibition match against Japanese kickboxer Tenshin Nasukawa in 2018 and had said he'd be open to other exhibitions even though it's been years since he retired from professional competition.

Sunday's bout against Paul is easily one of the most lucrative options for Mayweather. Paul rose to fame as a YouTuber in 2013 and has a massive following. Currently training under boxing coach Milton Lacroix, Paul has stepped into the ring twice - once as an amateur, once as a professional - and both contests were against fellow YouTube star KSI. The first fight in 2018 sold 1.3 million pay-per-views, and the rematch in 2019 was DAZN's third-most streamed event of the year.

As two of the most polarizing figures in boxing, Mayweather and Paul stand to make a ton of money from their exhibition bout. Paul also has a lot to gain from a career standpoint, as he could do the unthinkable and beat an all-time great.

Paul has nothing to lose against Mayweather, so it's no surprise he wanted the exhibition. And though Mayweather has no intention of facing off with elite boxers at the age of 44, it should also come as no shock that he's willing to take on an inexperienced combatant like Paul for what will be a very hefty paycheck.

How well will Mayweather-Paul do on pay-per-view?

It's impossible to know for sure because there's nothing to compare it to.

But considering Logan's younger brother, Jake Paul, reportedly generated over one million pay-per-view buys for his boxing match against former MMA fighter Ben Askren in April, the matchup between Mayweather - one of the greatest boxers of his generation - and Logan - whose YouTube channel has over 23 million subscribers - could easily draw north of two million buys.

There wasn't a ton of buzz when Mayweather-Paul was initially scheduled for February. That changed when the boxers came face to face at a press event in May, but it wasn't even a moment between Mayweather and Paul that sent the combat sports world into a frenzy.

During the event, Jake Paul snatched a baseball cap off Mayweather's head after getting in his face. Mayweather went after him, resulting in the viral and now-infamous "gotcha hat" moment.

Since that incident, it's become clear that Mayweather-Paul will be a huge success.

The only thing holding it back from breaking pay-per-view records is the fact it's an exhibition bout. However, both boxers have said they plan to treat it like a real fight and are going for the knockout, so that should generate enough interest among fans to produce one of the most successful pay-per-view cards in a while.

Did Mayweather even train ahead of this exhibition match?

Some people have questioned whether Mayweather took the Paul bout seriously during his training camp.

While it's reasonable to think Mayweather was perhaps not as dialed in compared to past training camps for the likes of Manny Pacquiao, Canelo Alvarez, or Oscar De La Hoya, it's foolish to suggest he didn't train at all.

As much as Mayweather is doing this for the cash, he's also an extremely competitive person. And even though the Paul fight won't count toward his legendary 50-0 pro record, there's no way Mayweather would risk tarnishing his legacy even a little bit.

Mayweather has posted photos and videos of him working out on social media ahead of Sunday's clash and said he'll finish Paul. Expect to see a full effort from Mayweather on fight night, and it's fair to assume that he's put in the work over the past few months since getting the exhibition finalized.

Does Paul stand a chance?

This is the golden question.

Oddsmakers have Mayweather listed at around a -1600 favorite, with the comeback on Paul at +700.

The odds should probably be even wider, because, on the surface, Paul doesn't stand a chance. Mayweather is one of the sport's all-time greats, and even at 44 years old, he's bound to display sharp offensive and defensive skills. It wasn't long ago that he destroyed Nasukawa.

The slightest bit of intrigue surrounding the actual matchup stems from Paul being so much bigger. Mayweather mostly competed at 147 and 154 pounds during his career, while Paul weighed in at nearly 200 pounds for his professional debut two years ago. A former high school wrestler, Paul appears to be relatively athletic and strong, and he knows all the pressure is on Mayweather to win. Sometimes, that last variable is all it takes for an upset to occur.

But then again, this is Mayweather taking on an internet personality who lost a decision to another internet personality in his only professional bout. Ultimately, Paul beating Mayweather would be one of the most shocking upsets in sports history.

Could this lead to a meeting between Mayweather and Jake Paul?

Many saw the scuffle involving Mayweather and Jake Paul as the seed being planted for a fight between the two of them - which, well, makes all the sense in the world.

Jake has more promise as a boxer than his older brother, as he's put together three straight wins since making his professional debut in early 2020. He finished former NBA player Nate Robinson in November before knocking out Askren two months ago.

Mayweather seems to be open to a fight with Jake later in 2021, recently saying he could beat both Jake and Logan in one night. Assuming Mayweather beats Logan on Sunday, a fight with Jake would be perfect matchmaking from a storyline perspective.

For now, Jake is scheduled to box former UFC champion Tyron Woodley in August. If he beats Woodley, who's his biggest test to date, and if Mayweather is up for another exhibition after this weekend, nothing will stop Jake from booking a bout with Mayweather after that.

Full card

PPV main card (8:00 p.m. ET)

• Floyd Mayweather vs. Logan Paul (exhibition)
• Badou Jack vs. Dervin Colina
• Jarrett Hurd vs. Luis Arias
• Chad Johnson vs. Brian Maxwell (exhibition)

Non-PPV preliminary card (5:15 p.m. ET)

• Jean Carlos Torres vs. Zack Kuhn
• Viddal Riley vs. Quintell Thompson
• Adrian Benton vs. Pedro Angel Cruz
• Micky Scala vs. Adam Ramirez
• Dorian Khan Jr. vs. Jonathan Gray
• Jalil Hackett vs. Angelo Diaz