August is just around the corner, with both McGregor and Mayweather Jr. getting ready to go to work once the bell rings.
For Mayweather Jr., this fight is nothing new, nothing different, and has no extraordinary challenges attached to it. It is a boxing match, inside a boxing ring. Being the same Mayweather Jr. he has always been, almost guarantees him a victory, at least according to the majority of boxing pugilists.
Not yet of course. The fight is yet to take place on August 26th in Las Vegas, Nevada. In real life Conor McGregor is trying to elevate his confidence and show the world that he is one hundred percent focused on his bout against arguably one of the best technical fighters in boxing history in Floyd Mayweather Jr., by having a huge mural painted in his gym depicting McGregor landing what seems to be a devastating left hook.
This fight is being dubbed as circus my many, as a serious fight by some, and simply as an entertainment event by most. I would lean to agree with the latter. Fights like these, despite providing a tremendous amusement value, lack the density to display either fighter’s abilities in the ring.
Everyone it seems, has an opinion on the upcoming cash bonanza that will be the Floyd Mayweather Vs. Conor McGregor clash. Retired heavyweight great Lennox Lewis is the latest big name to weigh-in on the much maligned August 26 “Super-Fight,” and Lewis doesn’t have anything good to say about the crossover bout.
“I can’t take it serious,” Lewis told The Star. “Mayweather is the best in his weight class, no one can touch him in boxing. He’s a pugilist of the highest order, so for another man from a different sport to fight him? It’s just ridiculous to me. They are two totally different sports. Floyd will stop him. He’s just too good at boxing for McGregor and McGregor is too inexperienced at boxing. He can’t use his other styles.”
Floyd Mayweather is a happy man right now, a very happy man. Whether the glee “Money” is seemingly unable to hide is down to the enormous payday his upcoming fight with MMA star Conor McGregor will bag him, or whether, as Floyd claims, it’s down to “giving the people all around the world what they want,” is down to opinion.
But the 40 year old superstar gave his first official (if brief) interview on the August 26 “Super-Fight” yesterday. Speaking with BSO TV, the 49-0 all time great said his retirement came to an end simply because fans “demanded this fight.”
No thanks, I’ll sit this one out…
I don’t begrudge anyone in any fighting sport the opportunity to make money. These men are talented in their respective sports and they put themselves at risk out there so let them get paid. I get it!
However, on that Saturday night in August as you gather around your TV’s in anticipation of the big fight between Conor McGregor and Floyd Maywether, please take a moment and consider this.
One day a few years back a boy showed up at my gym with all of his worldly possessions in a backpack wanting to become a professional boxer. He had heard about me from a distant relative and came half-way around the world, leaving his wife and 3 year-old daughter behind, to come chase his dream. He knew two words of English…”me champion.”
For those fight fans that are interested, further details have come out on the “Super-Fight” that is now official for August 26 – Floyd Mayweather versus Conor McGregor. Dana White, in speaking with Fox Sports, said the fight will be fought over a scheduled 12 rounds, it will be fought at the light-middleweight limit of 154-pounds and the two fighters will fight using 10oz gloves.
White, doing his best to further hype the fight as a genuinely competitive match-up, said that in his opinion Mayweather “struggles with southpaws.” The MMA warrior from Ireland is of course a southpaw and maybe, just maybe, White will be proven right, and Floyd will, for a round or two, struggle with McGregor’s stance.
Welp, looks like we’re off to another iteration of the “Fight of the Century,” and to no surprise, it looks much like the Mayweather-Pacquiao “Fight of the Century” we endured back in 2015.
Both bouts have Floyd Mayweather – the supreme talent of his generation; both feature tireless back-and-forth “will they, won’t they?” speculation and conjecture designed to keep the masses on edge. Both of them seemingly dominate the news in boxing. And both seem less focused on the fight potential itself, and far more heavily focused on the cash-grab potential. Not a good sign.
FOX Sports UFC analysts and hosts react to the Mayweather vs. McGregor announcement today. Plus, on UFC TONIGHT, host Kenny Florian, guest host Tyron Woodley and Karyn Bryant react to the Mayweather vs. McGregor news and catch up with UFC president Dana White and Yahoo Sports’ Kevin Iole.
UFC TONIGHT host Kenny Florian on Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor and what this means for McGregor: “I’m still trying to figure out what dimension we’re in. We’ve never seen anything like this. Conor McGregor has done some amazing things in mixed martial arts. He’s a two weight champion in the UFC, he’s broken UFC PPV records, and now he’s fighting the best boxer in our generation in Floyd. This is amazing.”
While much has been made of The Money Team reportedly reserving The MGM Grand in Las Vegas for August 26 for the much hyped “Super-Fight” between Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor, the fight between the superstar boxer and the superstar MMA fighter is not yet official.
Despite this, big wagers have been placed on the fight’s outcome in the Vegas casinos and sportsbooks. According to an interesting piece on ESPN.com, The Westgate Superbook in Las Vegas has already had over $10,000 bet on the fight. Currently, Mayweather is a whopping -900 betting favourite (down from an even bigger –2,500 favourite when odds were first announced back in February), while McGregor is currently listed at +700 (he was +1,100 back in February).
Semi-retired superstar Floyd Mayweather Junior is back in the gym, sparring ahead of his still to be signed (by him) but fully expected September “Super-Fight” with MMA great Conor McGregor. As per The Mirror, the 40-year-old with the 49-0 pro record yesterday sparred six rounds with unbeaten 18-year-old hot lightweight prospect Devin Haney.