Wet Canvas Steals Show as Mayweather vs. Paul Goes the Distance

By
Gabriel Gonzalez
-
Floyd Mayweather and Logan Paul. Photo: Sean Michael Ham/Mayweather Promotions

Floyd Mayweather went the distance with Logan Paul at an event where the rain and other elements stole the show in Miami.

Try as he might, the money man could not hit the jackpot on Sunday night as Floyd Mayweather went the distance with YouTuber turned boxer Logan Paul.

While the exhibition was sold around the idea of seeing either an epic upset or a masterclass from the world’s best, the reality was that the traits of both men essentially cancelled each other out.  The first round was the most eventful, ending with an eager Paul unloading a barrage against Mayweather that appeared to have the former champion in trouble due to the severe size disadvantage.

It was all for naught in the end.  Paul’s shots looked more labored as the bout wore on, but his size and length were enough that Mayweather kept to the outside for the majority of the bout.  Paul had little to offer besides his jab and looping punches at close range, choosing to clinch Mayweather throughout the fight when the champion would look to go to work.  Mayweather, for all his prowess, struggled to land enough clean shots on the bigger Paul and left the bout looking no worse for wear despite giving up roughly 30 pounds to the entertainer.  The fight ended without a decision with no winner or loser as it was an exhibition.

Following the bout, Mayweather paid respect to Paul for what he accomplished in the ring and addressed the result:

I had fun. You’ve got to realize I’m not 21 anymore. But it’s good to move around with these young guys. He’s a great young fighter. He’s better than I thought he was. He’s a tough, rough competitor. It was good, had fun. I was surprised by him tonight. I had fun.

Paul took the moment to share a message of inspiration to those watching, addressing those that believed he would be far too outmatched despite his size advantage over the generational talent.

I don’t want anyone to tell me anything is impossible ever again. The fact that I’m in here with one of the greatest boxers of all time proves that the odds can be beaten. I’m the maverick. I go right when they go left. I’m the unorthodox one. I’m the independent one and everyone has it in them. Everyone can beat the odds and do great things in life and I want everyone to know that. That’s the message that I’m here to say.

The co-main event nearly saw an unusual turn of events as respected professional Badou Jack took on short notice opponent Dervin Colina.  Colina repeatedly continued to hold in the clinch to the point that the referee threatened disqualification if he continued.  As the fight entered the fourth round, the overmatched Colina was stopped by Jack via body shots.  Jack’s originally scheduled opponent Jean Pascal was forced out of the bout due to testing positive for performance enhancing drugs.

A main card bout between Luis Arias and Jarrett Hurd brought the most controversy as the two went the distance in a fight that saw multiple pauses due to the canvas getting wet by rain.  While the ring itself was covered overhead, the wind brought in moisture that made the surface slippery throughout the fight.  Notably, the fight was held in an outdoor stadium despite only a limited number of floor seats being taken up inside the venue.  Several slips occurred throughout the fight, including a controversial one where Arias appeared to slip at the same time as eating a shot behind the ear from Hurd that the referee ruled as a knockdown.  In the end, the underdog Arias walked away with a split-decision victory.

Finally, ex-NFL player Chad Johnson (better known as Chad Ochocinco during his playing days) went the distance against Brian Maxwell in his exhibition to open the main card.  Johnson notably survived a solid knockdown during the bout.  Like the Mayweather vs Paul main event, no winner or lose was announced for his fight.

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR