Jake Paul Banned from Attending Brother Logan's Fight vs Floyd Mayweather After Brawl
May 7, 2021
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.