Mayweather v Logan Paul: Is Miami exhibition good or bad for boxing?

"A legalised bank robbery".

Floyd Mayweather - boxing's greatest fighter for a generation - used those words when discussing the 'exhibition' fight he will put on with YouTube star Logan Paul on Sunday.

Some fans have labelled it "a disgrace" to boxing while some big-name former fighters see the Miami event as a huge opportunity.

This is good for boxing...

Paul has had one previous exhibition bout and one professional fight, which he lost

Exhibition bouts such as Mayweather-Paul lead some to question the current state of boxing but such events have come and gone before, only for the sport to continue unchecked. Muhammad Ali took on a Japanese wrestler, an American football player and an ice hockey star.

What boxing can ultimately grab through events like this - where no winner will be declared - is a hold on new fans who will pay to watch on television in the US and UK.

Paul boasts 23 million YouTube subscribers, while his brother Jake - who also now partakes in boxing matches - has a further 20 million. In comparison, world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua has 730,000 subscriptions to his channel on the platform.

Research shows around a quarter of users on YouTube are under 24, so when either of the Paul brothers enter the ring, boxing has its chance to leave a mark on fans of the future.

Former world heavyweight champion David Haye simply said: "Would we rather they go and play darts? How does that help boxing? It's not taking anything away from boxing, it's actually adding to it."

Mayweather has turned out on America's 'Dancing with the Stars', taken on The Big Show in WWE, boxed UFC's biggest star in Conor McGregor and knocked out a Japanese kickboxer in an exhibition. It is hardly a surprise his name features anywhere when significant sums are on the table.

And while Paul - who lost his only professional fight to date - says he will land a knockout win, another potential upside for Mayweather's sport is that he can perhaps show just how skilled boxers truly are.

Mayweather can show YouTubers and fans alike that to flourish in the ring requires far more than a healthy online following. Were the 44-year-old to run rings around Paul at the glitzy Miami affair, there may well be a few nods of approval in gritty backstreet boxing gyms the world over.

But Paul's role in the bout also offers even decorated boxers a lesson, with former world champion Badou Jack stating: "Some of these YouTubers, they're really corny and stuff. But they bring more eyeballs to boxing and they're showing the real fighters that social media and marketing is really important."

This is bad for boxing...

Mayweather was involved in a melee with with Logan Paul's brother - Jake - at a media event in May

Jack's "corny" comment was perhaps kind given the antics at a recent Mayweather-Paul media event, where the boxing legend engaged in a melee after Jake Paul stole his hat.

The build up for exhibitions is at times garish. A brief glance at social media is enough to show boxing becomes guilty by association - an obvious downside to such an event.

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo will likely one day take part in charity football matches. Golf's elite will play holes with film stars. None of them will seek to engage fans by brawling over a stolen hat.

Mayweather though is unashamedly unapologetic, explaining: "My nickname is 'Money' for a reason. I believe in working smarter, not harder. So if it's something easy like a legalised bank robbery, I've got to do it. This kid doesn't have a chance in hell."

In truth, boxing has struggled to let Mayweather go. Big names sit at the top of the sport but none have replicated his draw in recent years. That in turn is the sport's own fault as it continues to politicise too many of the best fights and alienates fans with its confusing structures.

YouTube stars have - in their own chaotic way - simplified an often confused sport for a new audience.

It seems to be working as a major UK broadcaster will televise the 'exhibition' while none chose to show the recent landmark bout between Scotland's Josh Taylor's and American Jose Ramirez for all four world titles at light-welterweight. That feels wrong on many levels and perhaps shows how boxing's most talented figures - and those backing them - must do even more to enhance their profiles.

But there is no bigger reason as to why this cash-grab exhibition should not happen than the risk of injury. A barrage of negativity would flow boxing's way were either man to sustain damage in a fight that is ultimately for nothing.

Good or bad? It's up to you...

Fans of sport - boxing and otherwise - must be trusted to distinguish between the noble art and entertainment. But when two men are throwing punches inside a boxing ring, some will find separating the two difficult.

Ultimately, how tricky this is to watch will depend on how the viewer frames the event. Boxing it is not. Entertaining? Perhaps.