Boxing

FLOYD MAYWEATHER revealed Manny Pacquiao was the best fighter he ever faced and opened up on his exhibition with Logan Paul. Mayweather outclassed Pacquiao over 12 rounds in May 2015 to end a debate which raged on over five years.
Floyd Mayweather beat Manny Pacquiao in 2015Credit: AFP – Getty
Floyd Mayweather revealed Manny Pacquiao was the best fighter he ever facedCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Floyd Mayweather next to his private jetCredit: Instagram @liramsustiel
Despite many feeling the fight failed to produce the excitement the build-up promised, it still sold a record 4.6million pay-per-views.
Mayweather, 44, controlled the contest in large parts but admitted Pacquiao, 42, was his trickiest customer.
He told The Million Dollaz Worth of Game show: “The best fighter I ever fought, probably was Manny Pacquiao. Because of his movement.
“But he’s a helluva fighter and I can see why he won so many fights and I can see why he’s going down as a Hall of Famer, it’s just certain moves that he made.
“But the roughest fighter probably was a guy named Emanuel Augustus. The Drunken Master. He was tough.
“And Miguel Cotto was very, very physically strong. So, you’ve got different fighters, different days you feel different ways.
“So some days you can go over there and you may not feel that good but you go over there and feel superb.”
Mayweather officially retired as a professional in 2017 after beating ex-UFC champion Conor McGregor, 32, in ten rounds.
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🥊 MAYWEATHER VS LOGAN PAUL: Where will the fight take place, what TV channel and live stream will it be on?

He did return a year later in Japan and beat featherweight kickboxer Tenshin Nasukawa in one round.
He claimed it earned him £7million already adding to his fortune which he projects is over £1billion.
Mayweather’s wealth is set to sky rocket again having lined up another exhibition, as he faces YouTuber Logan Paul, 26, on Sunday.
The American legend reckons he is set for a guaranteed £72m payday and admitted the money is too good to turn down.
Logan Paul faces Floyd Mayweather on SundayCredit: Instagram @loganpaul
Floyd Mayweather predicts he will earn a guaranteed £72mCredit: Instagram @floydmayweather
Mayweather said: “There’s a lot of people out there who have a famous face but they ain’t got s***.
“So, I truly believe in I’d rather have a currency then a legacy, because my legacy is already engraved in stone.
“A lot of times they say, ‘Oh, Mayweather, he’s doing exhibitions’ they be like, ‘It’s bad for boxing’.
“But at the end of the day, I look at my children, I look at my grandson, I look at my mother, I look at my father.
“My mother’s a millionaire, my dad’s a millionaire, my children are millionaires, my little grandson’s a multi millionaire and he doesn’t even know it.”
Logan Paul gives himself ’10-10′ chance of knocking out Floyd Mayweather More

GOLDEN BOY Luke Campbell has been approached for a brilliant revenge rematch with Jorge Linares.Hull’s 2012 Olympic icon went toe-to-toe with the future hall-of-famer in 2017 and was beaten in a lightweight world title clash on a split decision away in California.
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Luke Campbell went to America in 2017 and suffered a split decision loss to Jorge LinaresCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Since then the Brit hero has suffered two more defeats in his quest for a world title belt.
But he dropped American sensation Ryan Garcia in January, before being stopped for the first time in his career, proving the 33-year-old remains an exciting draw.
And three-weight champ Linares took supposed superstar Devin Haney the distance last week – wobbling him heavily in the tenth – proving for sure that he can still bang with the best of the 9st 9lbs division.
Following 35-year-old Linares’ defeat, his Golden Boy promoter Roberto Diaz reached out on Twitter to offer Campbell a shot at redemption. 
And the Coolhand father-of-three gave the green light to get talks rolling.
Campbell told SunSport in April: “The loss to Linares is the one that is still toughest to take because I still, to this day, think I won the fight.
“When the away fighter goes on a rival promotion and gets a split decision loss, most boxing fans know it could almost always have gone the other way.

Time to roll it back Luke, tell Eddie and lets do Linares v Campbell 2. Maybe we do a trilogy or maybe we go 2-0. 🥊🥊👍🤝💯— Roberto Diaz (@Micheladatime) June 2, 2021

“I take nothing away from Linares, he was an absolute monster back then but I thought, after I recovered from the knockdown in round two, I dominated the fight.”
Campbell should not really have been in the fight at all, his father Bernard had died just two weeks before but – in heroic fashion – he kept the family tragedy secret to avoid leaking any vulnerability. 
To this day he refuses to use the heartbreaking circumstances as an excuse for his slow start and eventual loss.
But, with three agonisingly close failed world title shots behind him, the idea of a revenge mission is a mouthwatering one.
He said: “There was a lot of ‘retirement talk’ after the Ryan Garcia defeat but nothing directly from me.
Hull southpaw Campbell made a slow start and was dropped but came back to win rounds.Credit: Getty Images – Getty
“The dream and the goal has always been to be a world champion and it will hurt if I don’t achieve it.
“I could moan about how the number of belts and champions dilutes it all anyway, but people will say I am just bitter and have a point.
“But if I can leave the sport with a record that stands the test of time, with close defeats only coming against absolutely elite fighters, then I hope it will make up for it.
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“And if it goes well against Linares for pride then someone might want to put me in with another world champion where I can fulfil my destiny.”
Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn needs his biggest British names now he is working exclusively with sports streaming service DAZN.
And Shane McGuigan confirmed this week, ahead of his first fight in Daniel Dubois’ corner, that he still feels Campbell has bundles to offer.
Campbell and Linares shared a barnstormer in 2017 and are still thrilling fans now.Credit: USA Today Sports

A source close to the early talks told SunSport: “Everyone feels that Luke beat Linares the first time they boxed, so if they want to speak to Eddie, Shane and the team about making the rematch, especially if it’s in the UK this time, we’re all ears.
“Haney didn’t really come close to stopping Linares and was holding on at the end, so if Luke stops him it’s a clear statement of where he’s at on the world stage. 
“They’ve both got massive profiles so it could be a big fight globally.”
Luke Campbell says he is just focusing on spending time with the family after being away at Christmas before his fight More

LOGAN PAUL claimed he is ‘beating up legitimate undefeated boxers’ in sparring and says his ring is ‘covered in f***ing blood’. The YouTuber will take on boxing legend Floyd Mayweather in an exhibition bout on Sunday night.
Logan Paul claimed he is ‘beating up legitimate undefeated boxers’ in sparring
The YouTuber will take on Floyd Mayweather on Sunday night
Paul prepared for the fight in his Los Angeles home, where he has a gym built on site with a ring outdoors.
The 26-year-old has been training constantly since his first ever boxing match in 2018, and earlier this year he warned he is leaving experienced sparring partners bloodied and shocked.
Paul said on his podcast in March: “We really do this s***. We really do this s***, it’s all we do, everyday for the past three years.
“Trained this morning, trained yesterday, trained the day before, eating healthy, going to sleep at the right time – it’s all we f***ing do.
“If I was walking in there, a complete noob, my first year of boxing, my second year of boxing even, then like OK, maybe a little anxious.
“I don’t know how long it takes to finally get good as something but I’m there.
“We’re beating up legitimate boxers, legitimate professional, undefeated boxers in my backyard.
“Go look at the canvas out there dawg, it’s covered in f***ing blood, none of it’s mine.”

🥊 MAYWEATHER VS LOGAN PAUL: Where will the fight take place, what TV channel and live stream will it be on?
Mayweather, 44, officially retired in 2017, after sealing a perfect 50-0 record having beaten UFC star Conor McGregor in ten rounds.
He did return a year later, wiping out featherweight kickboxer Tenshin Nasukawa in round one of their exhibition.
It was the only time the unbeaten all-time great ever boxed outside of the US and his first away from Las Vegas since 2005.
But he will make a comeback for a similar spectacle against internet sensation Paul.
KSI beat YouTube rival Logan Paul in 2019Credit: Getty Images – Getty
Floyd Mayweather beat Tenshin Nasukawa in a 2018 exhibitionCredit: AFP

American vlogger Paul has boxed only twice before, both against online rival KSI.
The first time they drew in a white collar bout in England before turning pro for their rematch in November 2019.
KSI, 27, ended up winning by split-decision after a two-point deduction cost Paul the result.
Logan Paul training for Floyd Mayweather as YouTuber says legend ‘putting himself in danger’ by underestimating him More

LOGAN PAUL has been preparing to shock the world with the help of a world champion and Floyd Mayweather replicas in sunny Puerto Rico. The YouTuber faces boxing legend Mayweather in Miami on Sunday, but he set up his training base 1,000 miles away on the Caribbean island.
Logan Paul took his training camp to Puerto Rico
The YouTuber relocated from Los Angeles to Puerto Rico
Logan Paul during a sparring session
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And SunSport has taken an exclusive look into his camp and can reveal how Paul’s gearing up for what most consider mission impossible.
After leaving Los Angeles, his head coach Milton Lacroix called upon some old friends to help out with sparring, including boxers at the Team La Perla gym in San Juan.
One of those was amateur Lucas Ruiz, who helped mimic Mayweather’s famously elusive style and was left impressed after the spar.
Ruiz, 24, said: “It was great work actually. I thought he was really just a YouTuber, but he can actually fight.
“He’s a great athlete, he’s got good endurance and to me, if he keeps boxing he can really become somebody.
“He had a good flow and he was letting his hands go and you can tell Milton is getting him right.” 
Ruiz’s coach Gabriel Lamastus oversaw the sparring sessions, and was less eager to get carried away with what he witnessed from Paul.
Lamastus revealed: “I would describe him as complicated, he’s a complicated fighter, but I wouldn’t say he’s a good fighter or a great fighter, just complicated.
Logan Paul pictured with sparring partner Lucas Ruiz
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“He can bring some trouble to somebody who doesn’t have that much experience, but definitely he’s not bringing any challenge to Mayweather.
“That’s not even a question. Logan has a very basic style, he throws the jab, throws his jab, and try to put his right hand in there.
“His defence is pretty good, he’s elusive, he can move his head and his reflexes are good.
“He gets out the way of punches not really by blocking or catching the punches but mostly by evasion.
“He fights with his hands down and depends on his reflexes to get out of the punches, which is a good style if it works for you.
“I won’t say he’s a bad fighter either. He’s 0-1, for being 0-1, he’s OK. But you can never compare him to Mayweather or any of the greats.
“He has to go through a lot to really be considered a good fighter. You can’t be a good fighter just because you have a bunch of followers.
Logan Paul at the Team La Perla gymCredit: Instagram @teamlaperla
Logan Paul pictured during a training sessionCredit: Instagram @teamlaperla
“I do agree he should be given the respect, because he trains and I respect the guy, I have nothing bad to say about the guy.
“But I’m talking technical stuff. And Mayweather is a hard challenge. If you put Logan in an easier fight, I’m sure he could get some wins.”
Logan is as inexperienced as they come in the ring, boxing only TWICE before, both against online rival KSI.
The first, a white collar bout in 2018, ended in a draw before they turned pro a year later, which Paul lost by a scrappy split-decision.
But the two years since have seen him working non-stop to hone his craft, leaving WBA ‘Regular’ champion Jean Pascal pleasantly surprised.
Pascal, 38, sparred Paul in Puerto Rico and pointed to the physical advantages he will have over Mayweather.
He explained: “That was good sparring and honestly what people don’t know, they think Logan Paul is just a YouTuber, but Logan Paul has got some skills.
Light-heavyweight champion Jean Pascal with Logan Paul
Jean Pascal has been sparring with Logan Paul
“He’s got some natural boxing skills, he’s athletic, he’s a big guy. Floyd is 147 pounds, Logan Paul is probably 200 pounds.
“For the fight he has to be 190, but Floyd’s probably going to be 150-160 so that’s a huge gap, maybe that gap might make a difference.
“Of course, he’s going to fight the best boxer ever, so it’s going to be really hard to touch Floyd, but if he can connect – anything can happen.
“That’s the beauty of our sport, one punch, a fraction of a second can change the fight.”
But coach Lamastus is certain no matter how big Paul is, nothing will ever bridge the gap in terms of skill and class in the ring with Mayweather.
He said: “I will say the size advantage is not really a factor for Floyd. The reality is Floyd is just too good, he can get in and out.
“Lukas is by no means Mayweather, but he has a Philly Shell, elusive style and he was able to get in and out pretty good and not let Logan hit him.
“They say styles make fights and I will say this fight sucks for Logan. I will say it’s a very complicated, hard night for Logan.”
Logan Paul pictured sparring in Puerto Rico
Logan Paul fights Floyd Mayweather in Miami More