Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor’s world press tour was a brilliant marketing scheme that now has the entire world talking about the fight.
Mayweather, at 49-0, is putting it all on the line to go 50-0, eclipsing Rocky Marciano’s record of 49 straight wins. He is a master showman and knows how to push people’s buttons better than anyone since Muhammad Ali. For at least his past 20 fights, Mayweather has played the villain, and he plays it with such sincerity that it’s really hard for a lot of people to root for him … but you’ll watch, and he’ll keep cashing those $100 million checks.
But Conor McGregor also is undefeated as a boxer. And he is a WORLD CHAMPION fighter. He is not a novice by any means. In terms of the pre-fight smack talk, there is little doubt that McGregor had the bigger mouth (and funnier lines) but that being said, the incessant profanities and racial allegations have unfortunately ruined much of that tour for posterity.
Mayweather, knowing how to manipulate, has tried to frame this fight in racial terms. He claims that McGregor slurred him, he wants to go that way and give himself enough motivation to win and win BIG. McGregor, in turn, rightfully accused Mayweather of being a wife-beater.
That’s certainly not what this country needs right now. Mayweather needs to ditch that angle or else they should just call off the fight. First of all, it was already implied: We know that McGregor is white and Mayweather is black. To frame this fight as yet another “great white hope” misses the mark entirely, and it needs to stop.
So, we know McGregor talks a big game. But this fight is something special, I can tell. It’s literally the biggest fight since Ali-Foreman in terms of hype. I’ve studied McGregor’s tapes, and this guy really has a shot at winning.
He’s a FIGHTER; dismissing that is ridiculous. He beat the brakes off of Pauli Malignaggi, according to the leaked tapes of his second sparring match with McGregor. And while the clip of the fight shows a definite push and not a knockdown, the 20 seconds before that showed sweat spraying off Malignaggi’s head and him bailing into the ropes. It was an unfair fight because Paulie is older and out of shape, but I’m certain Paulie very much got the better of him in the early rounds.
But the films — and his highlight reels from the UFC — show that McGregor has stunning accuracy and is a killer counterpuncher. He’s going to come out with savage fury and try to score the biggest upset in boxing history. McGregor is in serious shape and really believes he can do it. Self-actualization in action. He says he can break Mayweather’s guard, and I believe him. His biggest worry is being disqualified for an illegal strike.
My money’s on McGregor. We soon shall see.
Mark Vasto is a veteran sportswriter who lives in New Jersey.(c) 2017 King Features Synd., Inc.