Jun half dozen, 2021

  • Cameron Wolfe

    Shut

    Cameron Wolfe

    ESPN Staff Writer

    • Covered the Broncos for two seasons with the Denver Post
    • Graduate of the University of Houston
    • A native of Jackson, Miss.

  • Marc Raimondi

MIAMI GARDENS, Florida -- Logan Paul raised his right glove and pointed to the sky. He then made a face at Floyd Mayweather, taunting him. And and so flicked out a jab.

It was a surreal moment in a surreal buildup and fight.

YouTube star-turned-prizefighter Paul went the altitude with Floyd Mayweather -- all eight rounds -- on Sunday nighttime in an entertaining exhibition boxing match at Difficult Stone Stadium. Paul'due south coach, Milton Lacroix, told ESPN last calendar month that a success in this fight for Paul would exist going the whole style. And that's what Paul did.

"He's better than I thought he was," Mayweather said of Paul. "...I was surprised by him tonight. Good work. Skillful piffling guy."

The exhibition was scheduled for eight iii-minute rounds. Mayweather and Paul wore 10-ounce gloves. There were no judges and no official winner read, though knockouts were legal.

The Florida Land Boxing Committee did not officially sanction the fight -- due to the large disparity in size and experience level -- though it provided Samuel Burgos as the referee. The bout, which will non become on either man'due south professional record, was promoted past Mayweather Promotions and distributed by Commencement pay-per-view.

"I don't want anyone to tell me annihilation is incommunicable always over again," Paul said. "The fact that I'1000 in here with one of the best boxers of all times proves the odds can be beat."

Read full fight recap hither

Circular-by-round coverage:

Round 8: Logan Paul goes the distance with Mayweather. Yes, that'south right. At that place will not exist an official winner appear and plainly Mayweather would have won if in that location was. Only Paul acclimated himself pretty well considering -- far improve than than near people thought. Mayweather 10-9. Total: Mayweather 78-74

Marc Raimondi, ESPN Staff Author 285d ago

Round 7: Information technology'southward getting chippy at present. Lots of clinching. Some talking back and forth. But arguably Paul's all-time round since the seventh. He did land a left hand and this was the first round in awhile Mayweather didn't state much of significance. Paul 10-9. Total: 68-65 Mayweather

Marc Raimondi, ESPN Staff Writer 285d agone

Round half dozen: Paul is very tired, simply he's even so in there. Lots of clinching. Not much on his punches. Mayweather landed a hard left hook late. Has not found the finishing blow, though. Mayweather 10-9. Total: 59-55

Marc Raimondi, ESPN Staff Writer 285d ago

Round 5: Logan Paul has heart. Mayweather landed two huge left hooks, a large correct hand and an uppercut. But Paul is hanging in and throwing back. Have to be impressed with Paul. Mayweather 10-9. Total: 49-46 Mayweather

Marc Raimondi, ESPN Staff Writer 285d agone

Round 4: Mayweather landed some big shots in this round. Paul has a bit of a chin. Mayweather blasted him with a correct hand and left hook. Paul took some big deep breaths. But he's surviving -- and did land a right. Mayweather x-9. Total: 39-37 Mayweather

Marc Raimondi, ESPN Staff Writer 285d agone

Round 3: Mayweather landed a couple of very difficult left hooks and a right off a series of feints. Mayweather is getting more aggressive. Paul might be a bit hurt and tired. Mayweather ten-9. Total: 29-28 Mayweather

Marc Raimondi, ESPN Staff Writer 285d ago

Round ii: Not a ton happening in this circular. Mayweather landed a few shots to the body. Paul whiffed on almost of his punches, but did land a right partially. Paul doesn't look terrible, but Mayweather hasn't really turned it on nonetheless. 10-9 Paul. Total: nineteen-19.

Marc Raimondi, ESPN Staff Author 285d ago

Round 1: Paul finished the round with a huge flurry, but Mayweather shelled up and just about goose egg got through. Mayweather didn't throw a ton in the round, but landed a pair of left hooks and a body shot. 10-9 Mayweather

Marc Raimondi, ESPN Staff Author 285d agone

Results:

Jack dominates tardily replacement Loma with fourth-round TKO

Badou Jack isn't finished withal. Jack turned in his all-time functioning in four years overcoming an opponent obsessed with property to secure a 4th-circular TKO of Dervin Colina.

Jack knocked down Hill three times in the quaternary round, the terminal fourth dimension enforced the three knockdown rule and stopped the tour.

Colina (15-1, 13 KOs) was a short-find replacement for Jean Pascal who tested positive for multiple performance-enhancing drugs that got him yanked out of the tour. He certainly looked like it, getting docked multiple points for holding and putting up a lackluster performance. It was two brusk right hooks -- one to the head and one to the body -- that were the finishing blows for Jack to shut the fight.

Jack, who somehow always finds himself on a big stage, plans to move up to the cruiserweight sectionalisation saying he'southward tired of cutting weight at an older age. Jack, of Sweden, could get a three-sectionalization champion if he wins a title at cruiserweight.

"I only got to exist patient," Jack said. "This is God'southward plan. I got to go along pushing."

Arias upsets Hurd via split decision

Luis Arias already has a nickname. It's "Republic of cuba," after his Cuban father. But he might want to consider irresolute it to "Rain Man."

In a steady downpour, Arias put along the best functioning of his career, beating the heralded favorite Jarrett Hurd via split decision (by judges' scores of 94-95, 97-93 and 96-93) in a middleweight bout.

The first circular was relatively uneventful. But after the bout was paused in the second due to the rain, which caused Arias to slip in the ring, Arias turned it on, throwing and landing haymaker after haymaker among brief pauses to wipe down the slippery canvas.

Hurd never went downwardly and was never hurt desperately. But Arias kept the pressure on and rarely backed off, pummeling Hurd with power punches -- huge overhand rights and left hooks -- for a significant portion of the bout. Over and over. Hurd ate all of them, only didn't cake most. Later on the 2d, Arias' confront was covered in blood, but it didn't play a huge cistron.

"You could have had me out of there," Arias said to Hurd. "I was definitely buzzed. If you lot plant a way, y'all could take got me out me out of there."

Hurd had some moments in the 5th and 6th rounds. It seemed similar Arias was slowing downwards, considering he was pushing an intense footstep. During that stretch, Hurd was able to land sharp uppercuts in shut, as well as crisp left hooks. The shots did damage -- merely not plenty to proceed Arias from coming forward. In the seventh round, Hurd landed 2 straight left hooks low, which potentially gave Arias time to recover.

Arias finished strong in the ninth and 10th rounds with hard combinations and blistering overhand rights.

"Jarrett is a hell of a fighter and he's non done," Arias said.

Arias (xix-2-ane), fighting out of Milwaukee, snapped a three-fight streak without a victory. Hurd (24-2) has dropped two of three. Hurd is the former unified super welterweight champion, and he moved down to middleweight for this bout. He was conspicuously the bigger man in the ring, simply it didn't matter.

Ex-NFL Johnson knocked downward, finishes his exhibition fight against Maxwell

Chad Johnson's boxing debut was off to a surprisingly impressive showing until midway through the fourth circular when a big right hook from Brian Maxwell dropped him to the canvass.

Getting knocked down will exist the highlight that comes out of Ochocinco'due south journey into the ring Sun dark at Hard Rock Stadium.

Johnson, 43, can take pride in getting upwardly from the dial as he finished the four-round exhibition against a professional gainsay fighter in Maxwell.

"My life has always been near taking chances and doing crazy stuff -- this was on my bucket listing," Johnson said. "This was a message to everyone out there don't exist scared to run a risk. Don't be afraid to fail. Information technology's OK."

The fight went the distance and at that place was no official judging so no winner was declared.

Maxwell, 33, claimed victory after the fight proverb "ask the earth who Brian Maxwell is now. Brian Maxwell is here. Thank you Republic of chad. It was an honor to fight my idol."

Maxwell is currently a bare knuckle fighter with an 0-3 record with two losses by knockouts. He as well was 0-i in standard boxing fights and ii-3 in MMA fights.

Johnson-Maxwell was the first fight on the main card of Floyd Mayweather vs. Logan Paul, and it was surprisingly entertaining for an exhibition tour.

There were plenty of NFL ties in the building to see Johnson's outset bout including Terrell Owens, who was in his corner showing him beloved afterward the fight. Other attendees included Miami Dolphins coach Brian Flores, rookie wide receiver Jaylen Waddle, quondam wideout Brandon Marshall and onetime linebacker Channing Crowder.

The oversupply at Hard Stone Stadium was pro-Johnson, who is a Miami native. They gave him cheers earlier and after the fight.

Johnson spent 2 months grooming for this boxing opportunity including a few week with brother titlists Jermall and Jermell Charlo. He also did some work with UFC star Jorge Masvidal.

Johnson came out strong, winning the beginning round after landing a solid correct jab and an impactful left hook multiple times. Johnson, who outlanded Maxwell 17-to-xiv per CompuBox, would have had a potent argument to winning the bout before beingness knocked down in the 4th round.

Johnson told the "I Am Athlete" podcast that Mayweather manager Leonard Ellerbe offered him a gamble to potentially make a "absurd million" for this fight and that he couldn't plough it down.

I week earlier the fight, Ochocinco told ESPN his goal was for "people who are buying tickets, people that are showing up, I want them to leave and say, 'I doubted Ocho, only to run across him go far the ring, knowing that someone tried to kill [him]. He put on one hell of a f---ing show.'"

The big story will be Johnson suffering a highlight and meme worthy knockout, but overall he did reach his goal. He entertained and performed improve than many expected.

"I lost my virginity this evening and it was fun," Johnson said. "I remember I'thou set up for McGregor."

Torres scores some other KO win to get closer to a championship opportunity

Junior welterweight contender Jean Carlos Torres (18-0, fifteen KOs) wants a championship shot, and Sun'south statement knockout win over journeyman Zack Kuhn (10-8-one, 5 KOs) should simply help his cause. After a slow start to the first round, Torres handled business knocking Kuhn downwardly three times including a flush left hook that led the referee to immediately telephone call an end to the bout in Round 2.

Information technology was Torres' debut fight under the Mayweather Promotions banner, after signing on September 2020. Undisputed inferior welterweight champion Josh Taylor likely has eyes on moving upward to 147 pounds to confront WBO welterweight champion Terence Crawford, squaring off confronting unified lightweight champion Teofimo Lopez at 140 or defending his title confronting beau British contender and mandatory challenger Jack Catterall.

But Torres has done enough recently to get his name in the title mix. The 30-yr-sometime Puerto Rican has now scored a knockout in seven of his last eight fights. 4 fights, four wins for Mayweather Promotions fighters on Sun night'southward not-televised undercard.

TMT prospect Benton outpoints Cruz for fifth win

It might not accept been the kind of performance some would have wanted out of a top Mayweather Promotions prospect. Just Adrian Benton got the job done.

Benton beat out a very game Pedro Cruz via unanimous decision (42-36, 42-36, 42-36) in a four-circular lightweight tour. Benton had a lot of success early, but Cruz never went away and was really the assaulter at times late in the bout.

This was the first time since his pro debut that the 21-year-old Benton had gone the distance.

Benton messed around with stance switches throughout the tour. He landed big combos in both the first and 2d round. In the first, Cruz actually appeared to drib Benton with a right, but information technology was ruled a slip. Benton opened up a cutting over Cruz's right eye in the 2nd and was busier as he landed the harder punches in the tertiary and quaternary circular, merely Cruz was right there at the finish, pressuring Benton.

Benton (five-0), a Cincinnati native, had not fought since December 2019. Cruz (1-i), fighting out of San Jose, California, won his pro debut in Mexico in 2019.

Hackett demolishes Diaz in commencement-round KO

Welterweight prospect Jalil Major Hackett fabricated like shooting fish in a barrel work of Angelo Diaz in his pro debut, overwhelming him with a bevy of power combinations before dropping and finishing Diaz only 1:11 minutes into the opening round.

The tour didn't fifty-fifty feel that long.

Hackett, an 18-twelvemonth-old Mayweather Promotions boxer from Washington D.C., started off ambitious and confident, wasting little time hurting Diaz to the trunk. Only information technology was his piece of work to the head that left Diaz retreating the most. The finishing blow was a strong correct manus that collection Diaz to the canvas with no promise of beating the 10-count. Diaz remained on the deck for at least a minute afterwards the fight before being helped up. Diaz, from Odessa, Texas, was also making his pro debut.

Khan stops Greyness in Circular 2

It took Dorian Khan Jr. about one round to get warmed up. But after that, it was serious one-way traffic.

Khan, in his pro debut, pummeled Jonathan Greyness throughout the second circular, culminating in a cease at 2:59 of the 2d via TKO. Khan ripped hard combinations with Grayness stuck in the corner earlier the referee stepped in to stop the activeness.

In the first, the southpaw Khan brindled Grey with combinations, using a nice correct claw and direct left. Only the heavy stuff came in the second circular. Khan really started letting his hands get hard with combinations. He dropped Gray with a left uppercut to the body, and it was more than of the aforementioned when Greyness got back to his feet.

Khan (1-0), from Arizona, is a Mayweather Promotions production. He is only 18 years old. Gray (0-4) of Maryland has dropped three in a row this yr after making his pro debut in 2020.