WE can sneer and ridicule all we like but taking part in another fake fight is expected to add £72million to Floyd Mayweather Jr’s £335m fortune.
They don’t call him Money Mayweather for nothing. The last time he laced the gloves four years ago he earned £200m.
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That’s when he made a fool of Conor McGregor, the Martial Arts hardman — holding him up before stopping him in the tenth round in front of the highest pay-per-view audience in history.
This time Mayweather, the unbeaten five-weight former world champion, is back in the ring facing Logan Paul in an eight-round exhibition bout at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.
I’m not ashamed to admit I’d never heard of Mr Paul. Fortunately, I have teenage grandchildren and, after mocking my ignorance, they gave me the lowdown on loud-mouth Logan.
He is a 26-year-old You Tuber from Ohio with a following of 22 million subscribers and is said to be one of the most recognised social media stars on the planet.
Apparently, there is no end to Paul’s talents. His CV describes him as an actor, director, expert rapper, entrepreneur, podcast host and, unbelievably, professional boxer.
American cable network Showtime has signed him on a long contract.
To cash-in on his popularity and to make a PPV financial killing, they had no difficulty persuading Mayweather to come out of retirement to swoop up another mountain of cash and to indulge Paul’s fantasy that he can fight.
Sky decided to boost their juvenile market and get in on the act — they have the gall to charge £16.95 to see this freak show in Britain.
MAYWEATHER VS LOGAN PAUL: Where will the fight take place, what TV channel and live stream will it be on?
There’s a special £7,500 package deal on offer for those who want to be close to this nonsense in the stadium.
So what are they are likely to get for such a bargain? Somehow I don’t think Paul will trouble Mayweather more than Canelo Alvarez, Manny Pacquiao or Oscar de la Hoya did.
It may beggar belief but Paul has had just ONE previous so-called pro contest — a points defeat against British rapper KSI three years ago.
Mayweather can’t hide his delight at being involved in what he laughingly calls a legalised bank robbery.
Former world cruiserweight champion Tony Bellew made a serious and very valid point when he told the BBC: “Someone is going to get hurt doing this and it’s going to come back on boxing.
“Boxing is a professionally dangerous, brutal business so nobody should mess about thinking it’s show business.”
If Paul, who really does fancy himself, makes the stupid mistake of trying to prove to Mayweather he’s for real, Floyd will show no mercy and is likely to knock him out.
Let’s hope it remains what it’s supposed to be — a bit of fun.
As P.T Barnum, America’s 19th Century super-showman said: “The bigger the humbug the better people like it.”
That remark certainly fits the Mayweather-Paul farce as snugly as a 10oz boxing glove.
