Floyd Mayweather stopped Deji Olatunji in the sixth round of their scheduled eight-round exhibition in the United Arab Emirates.
Mayweather toyed with his crudely skilled opponent, who is best known as a YouTuber. He fought most of the fight with his hands down, an indication that he knew Deji couldn’t touch him.
The Hall of Famer started out jabbing and moving and throwing an occasional power shot but picked up his pace round by round.
In the final round he didn’t hold back, unloading a series of hard, accurate shots in an apparent attempt to end matters inside the distance.
A full report will follow shortly.
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The fight was stopped in the sixth round of a scheduled eight-rounder. Mayweather had landed a series punishing shots, which prompted referee Kenny Bayless to stop it.
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It’s amazing how well Mayweather can move well at 45 years old. He probably could still beat all but a few welterweights right now.
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Mayweather took it to Deji that round, picking up his punch output. He’s not punching as hard as he can but he’s punching a lot. He was warned a few times for low blows.
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Mayweather is just having fun, dancing both during the action and between rounds. He has fought the entire fight with his hands down because he knows his crude opponent can’t hit him, at least not more than an occasional, inconsequential punch.
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Mayweather is playing to the crowd and those at ringside. Jabbing, moving in and out, throwing an occasional power punch as Deji covers up and tries to figure out what’s going on. All part of the show.
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Mayweather is toying with Deji, who obviously has only rudimentary skills. You get the feeling that the Hall of Famer could stop his opponent at any time but doesn’t want to because he wants the fans to get something for their money.
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Finally.
It’s past 1:30 a.m. in Abu Dhabi and the main event fighters are just now making their ring walks.
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Tommy Fury took part in an exhibition with fellow pro boxer Rolly Lambert Fogoum, which was put together at the last minute.
The half brother of heavyweight titleholder Tyson Fury and his opponent danced and postured more than they punched for six, two-minute rounds that repeatedly drew boos from the crowd.
Fury, a social media star, is a potential opponent for YouTuber-turned-boxer-Jake Paul, who served as a commentator during his rival’s event..
The most-exciting thing about the Fury-Fogoum exhibition happened immediately afterward, when John Fury, the father of Tyson and Tommy, took his shirt off in the ring and challenged.
The elder Fury and Paul exchanged words but Paul didn’t enter the ring.
Then, when Tommy Fury was interviewed in the ring, he also challenged Paul to enter the ring. Paul suggested he leave the ring, which prompted Fury to step through the ropes. His handlers held him back, however.
The exchanges were valuable in terms of marketing if the fight takes place.
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Hall of Famer Floyd Mayweather returns to the ring in a pay-per-view exhibition against YouTuber Deji Olatunji on Sunday in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
The main portion of the show begins at 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT. The main event will take place later in the show.
Boxing Junkie will post results of the main event and other featured bouts immediately afterward. Simply return to this post when the time comes.
Full coverage – a fight story, photo gallery and analysis – will follow on separate posts the night of the fight and the following day.
Enjoy the fights!
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