Logan Paul admits shock at Mayweather fight after signing what he thought was a ‘fantasy contract’

YouTube sensation Logan Paul has revealed he was shocked when his manager presented him with a contract to fight legendary boxer Floyd Mayweather and signed it initially thinking it wasn’t a real one.

Paul, who made his professional boxing debut against fellow YouTube star KSI in 2019 – losing a close six-round split decision – takes on former pound-for-pound great Mayweather in a pay-per-view event on February 20.

Mayweather, 43, had retired from fighting in August 2017 after defeating Conor McGregor in a money-spinning crossover fight but had returned for an exhibition bout against Japanese kickboxer Tenshin Nasukawa on New Year’s Eve the following year.

Paul will have a significant height and weight advantage over Mayweather but enters the fight as a huge underdog. 

The 25-year-old still cannot believe his fight against Mayweather got finalised and revealed how he felt when his manager first presented him with the opportunity.

‘None of this is comprehensible,’he told Food Truck Diaries. ‘This makes no f***ing sense. My manager, [this] is months ago, comes up to me, he says “Logan would you fight Floyd Mayweather?” I go, “I mean yes I would, but why are you asking me that question? Like go do something else, this makes no sense, how is that going to be a thing ever?”

‘I think a month later, he approached me with a contract. He said If you sign here, you’re going to be fighting Floyd Mayweather.” I said “Sure Jeff, I’ll sign your fantasy contract. Like f*** you, why would this ever happen?” I signed it, and then after just months and months of going back and forth and figuring out dates, we had three different dates, and how to announce it, and just like the strategy behind it. It finally came to fruition, and this event that supersedes everything I’ve ever done in my life, is finally solidified.’  

Retired multi-weight champion Mayweather has always insisted he would fight again against the right opponent for the right money and his decision to take on Paul, who has 5.8million followers on Twitter and a huge social media presence, was influenced by the recent financial success of the Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones pay-per-view exhibition – which done over 1.5million buys. 

Paul’s first fight against KSI in 2018 done over 1.3million pay-per-view buys worldwide while figures were not released for their rematch last year. It is already anticipated that his fight with Mayweather will eclipse PPV numbers done by Tyson Fury vs Deontay Wilder.