Floyd Mayweather vs. Logan Paul is two things: Big money and a ridiculous mismatch | Opinion

(Editor’s note: This column originally was published over at Boxing Junkie, part of the USA TODAY Network.)

A message to fans of Logan Paul: Don’t expect him to do to Floyd Mayweather on Feb. 20 what his brother, Jake, did to Nate Robinson last month.

Jake Paul sent his minions into a tizzy by annihilating Robinson in two rounds on the Mike Tyson-Roy Jones Jr. card in Los Angeles. Job well done for the YouTube personality.

Here’s the thing, though: Robinson was a former NBA player who had next to no idea what he was doing in the ring.

Mayweather was the greatest boxer of his generation, one of the best of all time. He finished his career at 50-0. He toyed with and then knocked out an actual combat sports star – Conor McGregor – in his last sanctioned bout in 2017.

Yes, Mayweather will turn 44 four days after the event. And, yes, Logan Paul is 25 and will have a weight advantage of approximately 50 pounds. That doesn’t matter one iota.

Let me repeat: Any advantage Paul or anyone else believes he has will not make one bit of difference. Mayweather could beat Paul at 143 and with his eyes closed. That’s just the reality.

Paul is a big, strong guy and has been in the gym enough to learn the very basics of the sport. However, he remains a crude boxer at best. That was abundantly clear in his split decision loss to YouTube rival KSI in November of last year, which was more of a street fight than sporting event.

“The Maverick,” as Paul is known, looks the part and talks a good game. He simply lacks any of the tools necessary to cope with what Mayweather will bring. He will get embarrassed and then knocked out, unless Mayweather chooses to do otherwise.

The bout is an exhibition. Tyson and Jones obviously held back to some degree, meaning they didn’t go all out to destroy one another. Perhaps Mayweather and Paul will have come to some sort of agreement to let the fight go a certain number of rounds.

Or Mayweather might just carry Paul for a while, as he did with McGregor, to give the paying fans something for their money.

Remember, though: The 2018 meeting between Mayweather and 20-year-old Japanese kickboxer Tenshin Nasukawa in Tokyo was also an exhibition. And Nasukawa went down three times in the first round, prompting one of his cornermen to throw in the towel.

Nasukawa was so embarrassed by his public failure that he cried in the ring.

I doubt Logan Paul will cry after he loses – he will have made too much money for any regret – but he will have an experience similar to that of Nasukawa if that’s what Mayweather wants to deliver. There’s no way around it.

Should you spend money to see it?

Well, I’ll write the same thing I wrote before the Mayweather-McGregor farce and Tyson-Jones old-timers bout: If you understand what it is – a bit of fun masquerading as an actual fight – then knock yourself out. Enjoy.

But if you think Mayweather vs. Paul will be competitive to any degree, you’ll be sorely disappointed. Don’t waste your money.