By Yannis Mihanos: Human curiosity is the great instigator in this what if scenario that usually materializes in PlayStation games and Hollywood films, the one and only Floyd Mayweather Jr. meets the one and only Conor McGregor next Saturday night on August 26 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Floyd Mayweather of boxing meets Conor McGregor of UFC.
The 4-city tour was a success and the attention for this fight has gotten huge. So many interviews, articles and discussions and live coverage are going on inside and outside of boxing, inside and outside of UFC.
This is going far beyond normal boxing standards, this transcends the sport into something else.
I cannot help but wonder whether all this has become a big circus act. In a way, all this build up to the fight reminds me a lot of WWE matches.
In WWE, organizers stage big shows prior the fights to create more electricity and attention, the outcome is usually set and done long before the wrestlers set their foot on the ring. It is very entertaining to watch for those who like this kind of sport.
Boxing is somewhat different, someone might respond that boxing is about two guys wrapped up with gloves punching at each other in a ring, but there is so much more and that’s the reason why it constantly provides Hollywood with inspiring true stories. It’s humbling, realistic, dramatic even comic at times, it’s an arena where unpredictability is always present.
The fight’s materialization and culmination is product mostly of one man: Floyd Mayweather Jr. Who else would have put so much time, influence and power to create this unorthodox encounter?
It is his thirst and ambition for winning and earning more. This is not anymore, your regular boxing appointment.
Floyd Mayweather retired unbeaten equaling the big record of Rocky Marciano: 49-0. Coming back at 40 and fighting the new Welterweight generation is dangerous and the gains are far less than the losses.
McGregor takes out this dangerous option not because he is less competent (far from it) but because a defeat from him doesn’t equal a defeat in boxing. And that I say it of course as a possibility because I don’t think he will lose.
Mayweather’s boxing ego can remain intact even after defeat, his boxing legacy and place in history can remain safe. It’s different to lose from a boxing star than a UFC star.
Fighting McGregor is by far the best marketing decision for Floyd even if that turns boxing into a circus for a little while.
McGregor is naive in boxing, using sparring partners has helped him to acclimate a bit more but let’s not forget that UFC is a different animal than boxing. It is like comparing a cat with a tiger, a bicycle with a motorcycle.
Conor claims that he has already adapted and if that’s true is great for the audience who wants to watch this.
So, circus or not I’m going to watch this and have a good time but I will be honest and tell you I’m not going to pay for this, that you can forget it.
Only when a fight gets personal I’m willing to pay and this one isn’t for me.