Conor McGregor responds to Floyd Mayweather’s fight comments: ‘I run boxing’. Photo Credit: USA TODAY Sports
By Rich Mancuso/Sports Editor
From my perspective and that of more than one boxing observer, Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Conor McGregor can do what they want Saturday night in Las Vegas. The fight is not boxing and deserves minimal attention, though that won’t happen because this is a spectacle and the casual fan will purchase the pay-per-view.
So when editors asked yours truly to take the trip out to Las Vegas: The simple answer was no way! And it has nothing to do with the minimal interest in the combat sport of UFC. The plain and simple truth is that this boxing purist wouldn’t buy into the entertainment and worried that holding that 12-round spectacle makes boxing look bad.
A pro fighter opposing the combat sports fighter and who is better? Well, who cares when it comes down to it, because what we saw Saturday was not boxing! It wasn’t Hagler, Hearns, Duran, or any of the other Hall of Fame boxing greats that made the sport so great and entertaining.
Credit: Twitter — FOX Sports: UFC @UFCONFOX
They will be making tons of money when this is all over. The only interest is whether or not Mayweather maintains his undefeated streak. McGregor and his foul mouth of theatrics leading up to Saturday night’s fiasco overshadowed his accomplishments in the cage.
The real winner of #MayweatherVsMcGregor? Anyone who didn’t pay hundreds to see the fight
— James (@jtschumann) August 27, 2017
By all standards this is a boxing match, except that the Nevada State Athletic Commission is allowing the fighters to use 8-ounce gloves. That could have been a ploy by the Athletic Commission whose officials are not Mayweather fans. BREAKING NEWS: As expected, Mayweather beat McGregor when the ref stopped the fight with 1:55 remaining in 10th round.
That was vintage Floyd and McGregor tiring in the 10th — Rich Mancuso (@Ring786) August 27, 2017
See video below courtesy of Capital Liverpool News (@CapitalLivNews):
All over in Vegas… #MayweatherVsMcGregor pic.twitter.com/KqYgABW0qO
— CapitalLivNews (@CapitalLivNews) August 27, 2017
The lone reason for a boxing fan to pay for this fiasco is to view a good undercard leading up to what should be an exhibition fight. The undercard features a veteran, Steve Cunningham, fighting for the cruiserweight title and with a well deserved first time pay-per-view fight who knows how to box.
Badou Jack puts his WBC super middleweight title on the line opposing WBA light heavyweight champion Nathan Cleverly. These fights are worth the watch before the fiasco enters the ring.
I recall when the late, great Muhammad Ali and Antonio Inoki fought a non-boxing match from Japan on closed-circuit TV. Inoki stayed on the mat and the result was a draw. It was an exhibition match that this columnist witnessed first-hand at Shea Stadium in New York. There were other live wrestling matches and the legitimate boxing media went along with the hype but saw the entire promotion as a mockery.
Ali was a great showman who could sell his fights — and you can put McGregor in the same category. Though, McGregor is good at what he does when fighting in the cage. And Mayweather is a fighter and also good what he does. But this was a fight that needed the hype because it wasn’t in demand.
Here’s some imagery from an awesome fight in T-Mobile Arena between warriors! #MayweatherMcGregor pic.twitter.com/Cq9qxAPJnU
— FOX Sports: UFC (@UFCONFOX) August 27, 2017
Mayweather will once again make millions and McGregor will take the biggest payday of his career to the bank. The boxing and casual fan will have gone to the bank to assist with their payday. When it is over, look at that $100.00 dollar or more purchase and don’t cry or complain. You went for the hype and in a few weeks there will be a legitimate championship fight in the same town, and at the same T-Mobile Arena venue when Canelo Alvarez and Gennady Golovkin will slug it out on September 16th for middleweight supremacy. Save your money and purchase a fight pay-per-view fight that deserves the hype because this fiasco Saturday night will follow the script.
There is a legitimate fight on HBO, if you aren’t into the hype and want to save your hard-earned money. Miguel Cotto — a future boxing Hall of Famer — in his next to last fight, opposes Yoshihiro Kamegai for the vacant WBO junior middleweight title. Cotto is seeking his sixth professional world title.
And indeed, all Mayweather and McGregor did was follow the script on Saturday night in Vegas. So I hope you didn’t cry and complain that you got ripped off.
Just glad that circus is over in Las Vegas and we can move on. — Rich Mancuso (@Ring786) August 27, 2017
There is a unanimous decision here. There will be no prediction, analyzing, or offering opinion. Just hope this does not become another black eye for boxing in a year where the sport has made some progress with some good and legitimate fights.
Comment Rich Mancuso: Ring786@aol.com Twitter@Ring786 and Facebook.com/Rich Mancuso
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