The build-up to Floyd Mayweather vs. Logan Paul has begun with Leonard Ellerbe telling fans to "stay tuned."
Mayweather last fought professionally in 2017 when he took on UFC fighter Conor McGregor before cruising to victory for his 50th and final victory.
He fought again in an exhibition match against kickboxer Tenshin Nasukawa on New Year’s Eve in 2018, winning again at a canter.
Given the millions he can guarantee with any event he puts on, it is no surprise that even at 44 he continues to be linked with a return to the ring in another exhibition fight, with the YouTube celebrity — with one match and one defeat to his name — the next in line.
A fight had been pencilled in for February but the restrictions enforced as a result of the coronavirus pandemic meant that it was not feasible to pack out a stadium, limiting the potential revenue from any event. Now a summer event seems set to go ahead with the American vaccine programme currently leading the world.
While this is expected to be an exhibition fight, Paul will reportedly be permitted to weigh no more than 190lbs, standing at 6-foot-2. However Mayweather, four inches shorter, will be restricted to 168lbs.
Speaking to BoxingScene.com, Mayweather Promotions CEO Leonard Ellerbe said: “Stay tuned.
“Everything we’ve done with Floyd has always set the standard, always leading by example,” notes Ellerbe of his longtime close friend and business partner. “Even with Conor McGregor, that fight generated the second highest revenue total in the history of the sport. That was four years ago, people are still talking about that night. People are still trying to find a way to bring Conor McGregor back to the sport.”
After Saul "Canelo" Alvarez gave his blessing to the new trend for celebrity boxing, Ellerbe backed up the view of the new audience being a positive step for the sport.
“Look, I commend all those who go out there and try to leave their mark,” Ellerbe said.
“If it brings more eyeballs to the sport, I’m all for it. At the end of the day, it’s all about entertainment. This is why I can never be mad at anyone who thinks outside the box. Once you start living in that bubble and only do things inside that bubble, you don’t ever have a chance to separate yourself.
“Who’s looking to be ordinary? Nothing about us has ever been ordinary. We’re always trying to think outside the box. Floyd is always looking to do something different. This show is going to be nothing like Floyd has ever done before.”