Logan Paul insists delayed exhibition bout against Floyd Mayweather ‘broke every single combat sports RECORD for pre-sale pay-per-view numbers’… with YouTube star stating fight has been pushed back due to ‘Covid business complications’
- Floyd Mayweather was due to fight Logan Paul in an exhibition on February 20
- However, the bout has now been delayed in the hope it can take place with fans
- Paul hit back at claims there was no interest, saying: ‘PPV buys broke records’
- The 25-year-old YouTuber lost his only pro fight against KSI in November 2019
Logan Paul has boldly claimed that his delayed exhibition fight with boxing great Floyd Mayweather ‘broke every single combat sports record for pre-sale pay-per-view numbers.’
The bout, originally scheduled for February 20, has been pushed back to a date yet to be announced, due to what YouTuber Paul described this week as ‘Covid business complications.’
But the 25-year-old, who has fought just once as a professional in a defeat to fellow YouTube star KSI in November 2019, hit back at claims that the fight was delayed due to a lack of interest from the public.
Logan Paul (R) says his delayed fight with Floyd Mayweather has broken a record for PPV buys
Paul (right) was set to take on Mayweather (left) on February 20 in a ‘super exhibition’ contest
‘The Floyd Mayweather fight is pushed which I’m completely OK with,’ he explained on his podcast Impaulsive.
‘We knew it was going to be pushed for a minute now, some Covid business complications is what I can say.
‘The fight is still happening so easy with the rumours that there’s no interest. This fight broke every single combat sports record for pre-sale pay-per-view numbers – shattered them.
‘I don’t want to get the narrative twisted; we had a leak inside the camp which was annoying and everyone made up their own reasons why it was postponed.
Paul (left) took on fellow YouTuber KSI (right) in a 2019 rematch bout but lost to the Briton
‘We want to have a packed arena somewhere and on the business side we have to iron things out. He’s got a lot of people on his team… Al Haymon (Mayweather’s manager) got involved.’
A new date is set to be announced soon in the hope that the fight, which will not be sanctioned, can take place in front of a full-capacity crowd.
American boxing legend Mayweather, who has a 50-0 undefeated record, has not fought in over two years and just once since he knocked out Conor McGregor in 2017 in another exhibition bout.
It will be the first time the undefeated Mayweather has stepped into the ring in over two years. Pictured: Defeating Japanese kickboxer Tenshin Nasukawa during a bizarre exhibition in 2018
‘I need as much practice, training and sparring as possible under my belt,’ Paul added.
‘I believe that every day that goes by I get one-to-two per cent better and he gets one-to-two days older.
‘I’m ready to fight anytime and anywhere, I’m just going to keep training.’