All-time boxing great Floyd “Money” Mayweather and social media sensation Logan “The Maverick” Paul fought to the distance in their eight-round special exhibition bout Sunday night that headlined a SHOWTIME PPV from Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens.
“He was strong, tough and better than I thought he was,” said Mayweather. “I was surprised by him tonight. That was some good little work.”
“It’s an honor to share the ring with Floyd,” said Paul. “He’s one of the GOATs. This is one of the coolest things ever.”
After weeks of buildup, the star-studded event pitted superstars from two different worlds in a highly anticipated showdown for sports and entertainment fans around the globe.
Mayweather displayed his typical patient and clinical boxing style, feeling out Paul in the opening round, before allowing Paul to come forward with a flurry of power shots at the end of the round that were mostly blocked, but excited the crowd nonetheless. As the fight wore on, Mayweather began to find a spot to land numerous power shots on Paul’s head and body.
Despite sustaining punishment in the middle rounds, Paul was able to use his over 30-pound weight advantage to frequently tie Mayweather up and avoid being stopped or sent to the canvas.
“Even without much experience, he knew to use his weight to tie me up tonight,” said Mayweather.
After the fight, the fighters expressed gratitude and inspiration to the fans who have helped them reach the tremendous heights that allowed this match to become reality.
“I had fun tonight,” said Mayweather. “I thank all the fans who came out, you’re all unbelievable.”
“I don’t want anyone to tell me anything is impossible ever again,” said Paul. “The fact that I got in here with one of the greatest boxers of all time, it proves the odds can be beat. Anyone can beat the odds and do great things in life. This is one of the greatest nights of my life, I’m happy.”
