Social media superstars Jake and Logan Paul been making waves in the boxing world for the last two years.
Their tremendous following on the internet, with 43 million followers combined just on Youtube alone, have made them lucrative targets since turning pro.
Last month, it was revealed that younger brother Jake Paul (3-0, 3 KOs) had agreed to a multi-fight deal with Showtime.
And older brother Logan Paul (0-1) will return to the ring on Sunday, when he faces five division world champion Floyd Mayweather in an eight round exhibition fight. Their bout will be the main event of a Showtime Pay-Per-View.
Logan Paul turned pro in 2019, when a controversial split decision loss to Youtube rival KSI.
So why would Mayweather, who retired in August of 2017, return to the ring to face such an inexperienced fighter?
“He has to,” Jake Paul said to Brian Campbell of CBS Sports. “That’s why he is fighting my brother. Who else is Floyd going to fight that will sell millions of pay-per-views? He needs us more than we need him.”
Leonard Ellerbe, CEO of Mayweather Promotions, rejected the insinuation that Floyd needs either brother to sell a major pay-per-view.
“There is zero validity to any of that,” Ellerbe told CBS Sports. “Imitation is the highest form of flattery, I always say that. I always say that! They have taken Floyd’s blueprint and have been able to run with it and I applaud them for that. But to make any notion of Floyd needing them is really one of the dumbest comments that I have actually heard in quite some time.”
Because of their tremendous loyal followings on social media, Jake Paul believes he and his brother are bringing over a large crossover audience to the sport – an audience that rarely watched boxing in the past.
“We are bringing in a new light and a new wave,” Jake Paul said. “That’s because of the YouTube celebrity boxing culture and us bringing Instagram and all of our followers over. It’s all new people who are wanting to pay for fights who normally wouldn’t have.”