As someone who’s been in there himself, Victor Ortiz picks Logan Paul to pull off an upset over Floyd Mayweather Jr.
YouTuber Logan Paul will take on the biggest test of his budding boxing career when he faces the consensus greatest fighter of this era, Floyd Mayweather Jr. The pair will meet inside the squared ring in an exhibition bout on February 20.
With a couple of months to go, the 25-year-old internet star is already hard at work. Standing by his side as he puts in the hours is former WBC welterweight champion Victor Ortiz, who saw firsthand how Paul knocked out three training partners during a sparring session one afternoon.
“Mind you, these are full-on professional boxers,” Ortiz said of Paul’s training partners in a recent interview with MMA Fighting. “I sat back in shock and awe. He was so composed and relaxed. He used his reach perfect – took a little step, hook down the middle, sleep. Night-night.
“My only complaint there is that he didn’t read him a bedtime story.”
Given his friendship with Paul, there could be a bit of bias from Ortiz’s end. But with what he’d seen, so far, he is given a sense of confidence that the underdog could pull off the upset.
“I know what I know, and I know what I see. What I’m saying, in a sense, is that he will give Floyd trouble. He’s a dear friend, and I believe in him,” Ortiz said of Paul.
“I’m telling you, it’s going to be an interesting fight. I’ve talked to him about Floyd a few times. … I give him the simple things: ‘Floyd is Floyd, but you’re unstoppable. You’re on another level.’ I strongly believe Floyd will have trouble. Logan can box, and he has power, reach speed, and he can move now.”
The 33-year-old Ortiz also credited Paul’s work ethic and overall approach to the game, as well as the mentor he’d chosen to hone his skills.
“[Mayweather] found a YouTuber – that sounds easy enough for a 20-time world champion,” said Ortiz, who fought Mayweather in 2011. “Alright, let’s beat him up. But what I’ve been watching and seeing is a YouTuber gone professional boxer who puts in hours and hours of work studying films.
“He’s very disciplined, and he’s working his butt off, and he listens. He has a heck of a coach [in Milton Lacroix] who’s very knowledgeable and very experienced. I believe it’s a dangerous combo.”
“From what I see at the gym, I can honestly say Logan can probably hit harder than [Mayweather]. Now, who’s more accurate? We’ll see Feb. 20.”