Floyd Mayweather Next Fight: Best Opponents After Exhibition vs. Logan Paul

As expected, Floyd Mayweather Jr. looked dominant Sunday as he went the distance with Logan Paul in an exhibition at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.

This was Mayweather's first time in the ring since a first-round TKO of Japanese kickboxer Tenshin Nasukawa during an exhibition in December 2018.

Given both his age (44) and sporadic involvement in the sport in recent years, it's difficult to pin down what the legendary fighter's future is beyond this weekend. Here are some of his most logical next steps.

Jake Paul

With all of the factors at play, this probably makes the most sense.

Mayweather already confronted Jake Paul at a press conference for Sunday's fight, with Paul snatching Mayweather's hat to spark a minor fracas.

Logan Paul denied his brother was attempting to manufacture any animosity between the two camps.

"That s--t just got personal by default," Logan said to TMZ Sports. "It was supposed to be, like, a cute little press conference—come together, get people excited for the fight. Now people talking about killing people! What the f--k?!"

According to MMA Fighting's Damon Martin, Jake's first-round TKO of Ben Askren in April eclipsed one million pay-per-view buys and may have wound up with a final number between 1.2 and 1.6 million. The 24-year-old is a bankable star, so he and Mayweather could generate a lot of money together.

Jake is focused on his fight with former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley right now. Especially if he comes out victorious there, taking on Mayweather is a natural next step.

Oscar De La Hoya

Kevork Djansezian/Associated Press

It seems unlikely that Mayweather will sign on to face a top-ranked challenger in his prime. The idea that Mayweather ducked certain fighters has followed him throughout his career. Whether that critique holds weight, he's probably not going to risk jeopardizing his perfect 50-0 record now.

The financial success of Mike Tyson's draw with Roy Jones Jr. last November showed how strong the pull of nostalgia is, especially for lapsed boxing fans looking to remember years gone by. If Mayweather wants to go down that route, then why not pursue a rematch with Oscar De La Hoya?

De La Loya is looking to get back in the ring. The 48-year-old hasn't put on the gloves since his defeat to Manny Pacquiao in December 2008, but he remains a name that can draw in casual and more passionate followers alike.

Although Mayweather and De La Hoya probably wouldn't set another record, a Tyson vs. Jones-like spectacle would almost certainly be a big moneymaker.

Manny Pacquiao

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This one might be a harder sell for a variety of reasons.

Mayweather has already thrown a wet blanket on the notion of a rematch with Pacquiao, though it wouldn't be the first time in the sport's history the word "never" didn't carry much weight.

In addition, Pacquiao remains an active fighter—and a good one no less. Since his shocking defeat to Jeff Horn in July 2017, he beat Lucas Matthysse, Adrien Broner and Keith Thurman. He's scheduled to oppose Errol Spence Jr. on Aug. 21.

There wouldn't be all that much for Mayweather to gain from a return bout with Pacquiao.

He was the decisive victor during their 2015 encounter, so he has nothing to prove in that regard. The financial gain may not be all that great, either, since a lot of fans will recall how underwhelming that fight felt.

Nobody

Eugene Hoshiko/Associated Press

Mayweather doesn't really need to fight again, at least not anytime soon. Another prolonged hiatus could be on the horizon.

It's worth noting the somewhat exceptional circumstances that preceded his last two shows in the U.S.

One month before his win over Conor McGregor in August 2017, multiple reports surfaced about liens the Internal Revenue Service had placed on Mayweather. One of the notices said he owed $22.2 million from 2015.

That presumably played a role in his decision to come out of retirement and fight McGregor.

Paul, meanwhile, presented Mayweather with the perfect storm. He'll collect what is likely to be a hefty windfall without having to work all that hard. He told TMZ Sports he's guaranteed around $30 million and might earn as much as $100 million.

This might have been his easiest payday ever and isn't the kind of opportunity that comes along every day.

Two or three years ago, you probably would've gotten laughed out of the room if you had said Sunday's event would come to pass. Who's to say how much the boxing landscape will change in another few years and how that might affect Mayweather's future.