In recent history, if there is a boxer who has had the attention of the media in the palm of his hand, it's Floyd Mayweather. That goes for whether you love him or hate him.
And if you follow what goes on in the social media world, you are well aware of the influence of brothers Jake and Logan Paul, who have, by way of their massive followings on various platforms, become unlikely power players in the sport, while at the same time positioning themselves separate and apart from it.
This creates the formula by which they are able to get the public interested in a fight that is officially billed as an "exhibition," as Mayweather, a retired 44-year-old, will face Logan Paul, a veteran of exactly ONE professional fight and NO wins.
And to the absolute outrage of many traditional boxing fans, they are the biggest attraction on the schedule at the moment.
That's why we are writing this story, and why BetOnline has prepared a number of prop bets you can place on events surrounding this bout, including the outcome itself.
And unlike Jake Paul's recent fight against MMA fighter Ben Askren, which was distributed primarily over social media site Triller, this one is being carried by Showtime as a pay-per-view event.
Here is one of the props we're talking about, which is good only if the fight does not go the distance (since there are no official judges):
To Win Fight (Goes Distance = No Action)
Floyd Mayweather -800
Logan Paul +500
Let me chime in with a little personal comment here. I spent almost 20 years in the boxing industry, and I have seen plenty of exhibition bouts. More often than not, it's just a couple of guys moving around and going at it half-speed, at best.
But those bouts did not carry a price tag of $49.99, nor did they have somebody with the ego of Floyd Mayweather, accompanied by a steady dose of trash talk. And they are going to allow this thing to result in a KO if that's what the action dictates.
How bad would it make Mayweather look if he allowed somebody like Logan Paul to go the distance? Could you imagine the beating he would take on social media if he just went through the motions?
Who knows - he might even hurt his chances for future "big bucks" opportunities like this.
I don't know whether you'd call it "pride," or "vanity." But whatever it is, he's not likely to let Paul get out of it still standing.
I mean, do you REALLY think Logan Paul, with no experience whatsoever, is going to be able to do anything against one of the great fighters of the era, someone who's never been defeated, even at age the advanced age of 44 and spotting over 30 pounds in weight?
If you do, then, to borrow a phrase from a famous game show, X gets the square.
This encounter will last only as long as Mayweather chooses it will last.
Here is the round betting at BetOnline, in case you're interested. These are the odds that will pay for Mayweather to score a knockout in each of the eight rounds:
Mayweather KO/TKO/DQ Round 1 +240
Mayweather KO/TKO/DQ Round 2 +250
Mayweather KO/TKO/DQ Round 3 +350
Mayweather KO/TKO/DQ Round 4 +400
Mayweather KO/TKO/DQ Round 5 +500
Mayweather KO/TKO/DQ Round 6 +600
Mayweather KO/TKO/DQ Round 7 +700
Mayweather KO/TKO/DQ Round 8 +700
If Mayweather wants to give the fans a show, he'll allow Paul to hang in there for a while and then take him out anywhere from Rounds 4 to 6.
It's kind of moot to put up the knockout numbers for Paul, but here they are anyway:
Paul KO/TKO/DQ Round 1 +1200
Paul KO/TKO/DQ Round 2 +1400
Paul KO/TKO/DQ Round 3 +1600
Paul KO/TKO/DQ Round 4 +1600
Paul KO/TKO/DQ Round 5 +1600
Paul KO/TKO/DQ Round 6 +1800
Paul KO/TKO/DQ Round 7 +2500
Paul KO/TKO/DQ Round 8 +3300
If this is on the up-and-up (and I'm not saying there's any reason to believe it isn't), the possibility of Logan Paul scoring a knockout against one of the craftiest defensive fighters of our time is so remote that it make these numbers kind of ridiculous.
I'll explain what we're getting at. This is a event that is not necessarily designed for the boxing fan. Instead, it's a little more geared toward the pop culture angle. Your fellow bettors are not sophisticated. And that produces decent prices for you. This is an opportunity to take advantage of it.
Jump all over those Mayweather-Paul props at BetOnline, where they make the big events come alive with a lot of ways to win. And don't forget that Odds Boosters give you explosive payouts on pre-selected parlays, and there are also tons of props on NBA and NHL playoff games!