Floyd Mayweather opted to take it easy on Logan Paul and not badly hurt him in their fight earlier this year after seeing the long-term effects of boxing on friends and family members over the years, according to his cousin.
Dejuan Blake, the cousin of Mayweather and a team member since 2002, has said that despite calls from his corner and friends to stop the YouTube star, the legendary boxer chose to allow him to go the distance.
The pair fought to the final bell in an eight-round contest at the Hard Rock Stadium in June, but Blake has claimed that Mayweather "didn't want to hurt Logan Paul".
"Once again," Blake explained in an interview with The Sun. "It's an exhibition, like Floyd said, he's not a boxer, why would he want him to get hurt and not be able to go home and talk to his family.
"One punch could change the game, why would he want to hurt him like that?
"A lot of people said, 'You should knock him out for all the s*** he's talking'.
"But at the end of the day, Floyd loves the sport that he's been involved in, but he also hates what comes with the damage that comes after the sport is over."
They engaged in a heated war of words throughout the build-up, with Mayweather drawing on Logan Paul's infamous 2018 'suicide forest' controversy and Paul responding by alluding to his opponent's 2011 jail sentence.
And after their press conference to promote the bout in May, Mayweather got into a brawl with Paul's younger brother Jake, who had taken his hat during an altercation.
But ultimately, Blake believes it all was to help build the 50-0 boxing star's brand with a younger generation who may have forgotten his famous pay-per-view wins over the likes of Canelo Alvarez, Manny Pacquiao, Conor McGregor and more.
"Floyd is closer to his 50s than he is his 20s and he was able to capitalise on that generation, that youth, that young crowd," Blake continued.
"It was a great experience, a great event. We did great numbers for a non-professional fight, it was a success."
The fight wasn't the first meeting between Paul and Mayweather's team, with meetings taking place between the two sides in 2018 around a potential broadcast deal for the YouTuber's fight with KSI.
Paul reportedly was looking to have Showtime broadcast his original bout with the Brit, but they ultimately passed on the proposition and the fight ended up being put on YouTube PPV, which sold around 1.2million units.
Paul's rematch with KSI in the pro ranks ended up being snapped up by Eddie Hearn and Matchroom Boxing, who put the fight on DAZN in the US and Sky Sports in the UK.
But now Paul and his brother Jake have brokered deals with the broadcaster, with the younger sibling facing Tyron Woodley on the platform later this year.
"Back then, we didn't know how much the world watches these YouTubers," Blake said of the meetings
"I came outside of the damn studio and there was a bunch of kids waiting outside for Logan Paul. I was like,' S***, this kid is huge.
"Floyd being loyal to the companies he's been loyal to for so long, he said the fight must happen on Showtime."
