EVA MARIE UZCATEGUI/AFP via Getty Images
Jake Paul has reportedly been banned
from the June 6 fight between his brother, Logan Paul, and boxing
legend Floyd Mayweather Jr. after he sparked a brawl by taking
Mayweather’s hat following a news conference to promote the bout
Thursday.
Matthew Cooper of the Daily Mirror
reported Logan delivered the news to Jake in an Instagram story after
the fracas.
“They’re not letting you into the
fight,” Logan said. “You’re literally banned from the Hard Rock
Stadium on June 6.”
Jake replied: “Swipe up, I’ll buy the fight. I
don’t care.”
Boxing is trekking down an uncertain
path. There’s a major championship fight Saturday night as two
title-holders in the super middleweight division, Saul “Canelo”
Alvarez and Billy Joe Saunders, face off in a potential Fight of the
Year contender.
Yet even with that card just a day
away, most of the mainstream attention is instead focused on what will be a
glorified exhibition between Mayweather and Paul next month.
It’s the continuation of a trend that’s
developed over the past year as the Paul brothers and Triller have
combined to create made-for-social-media events with the boxing
matches simply part of a show that features numerous musical acts, celebrity sightings and other entertainment.
One of the cards was headlined by a
battle of past superstars as Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr., both past
the age of 50, returned to the ring and generated over $80 million in
revenue in November.
“It’s all about entertainment. I want
to give the people something fun to look forward to,” Mayweather
told Lance Pugmire of The Athletic after Thursday’s brawl. “For the
last year and more, it’s been all about the virus. We need to all
step past that and have fun again.”
The question is whether fight cards
that would have previously focused almost exclusively on boxing, like
Alvarez vs. Saunders, will in the future shift to more
entertainment-based events given the recent success promoting
exhibitions or lower-level pro fights.
That type of transition may frustrate
purists, but boxing promotions must find a way to keep casual fans
and younger fans engaged with Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, the
sport’s longtime top draws, winding toward the end of their
respective careers.
Logan Paul, 26, is preparing for his
third fight. His first two came against another YouTube star, Olajide
“KSI” Olatunji. The first bout, an exhibition, ended in a
majority draw, and the rematch, an official pro fight, was scored a
KSI win by split decision.
Jake Paul, 24, is 3-0 with wins over
YouTuber Ali “AnEsonGib” Al-Fakhri, former NBA player Nate
Robinson and former MMA fighter Ben Askren.
Mayweather, 44, is 50-0 and one of the
greatest defensive boxers in the history of the sport.
