A stroke of genius that even legendary confidence tricksters Victor “the man who sold the Eiffel Tower twice” Lustig and Joseph “Yellow Kid” Weil would be proud of. In Mayweather’s case, however, it’s not about cozening the avaricious per se, but one where he’s promoted self-failure to the Marks (hoards of casuals and boxing fans) to attain monetary success.
Since breaking ties with Bob Arum and setting off on his own, it’s been nothing but strictly business for the sui generis pugilist from Grand Rapids, Michigan.
After months and months of negotiations, and endless speculations (will they – won’t they?) regards the crossover matchup; Boxing vs. MMA (under Marquess of Queensberry rules) – Mayweather vs. McGregor has finally come to fruition., and is slated for Sat., Aug 26, 2017 at the T-Mobile Arena, Paradise, NV.
With less than two months to go before their much anticipated “money falling from heaven” mega fight, the all-time great has resorted to his own brand of soft sell – apple-poshing the masses (a multitude of casuals, and even some diehard boxing fans) into actually believing the Irishman, not only has a punchers chance against the pound-for-pound great, but that he’s also an actual threat as long as the contest last.
This, despite the fact “The Notorious” is a boxing novice with a professional boxing ledger of 0-0 entering this fight, or freak show or circus as some have labelled it
The only pedigree McGregor, 28, brings is his elite MMA striking; 18 T/KOs in 21 victories via fist strikes, however, MMA striking and the sweet science of boxing are like yin and yang.
Albeit MMA striking is an art form in and of itself, it still has no business in a four-squared ring.
Conversely, boxing is a completely different animal; a complex labyrinth of offense, defense, footwork, ring smarts, and years of honing ones skills to top-tier level pugilism – that only a few are truly afforded the luxury of the Holy Grail if they somehow find their way to the exit; Mayweather is one.
So, in boxing terms, McGregor isn’t even a lower-tier boxer.
Furthermore, Mayweather, 40, is a defensive wizard and counter puncher extraordinaire, and has fought and defeated some of boxings upper echelon practitioners (Manny Pacquiao, Canelo Alvarez, Miguel Cotto, Shane Mosley, Juan Manuel Marquez, Oscar De La Hoya and the heavy-hitting Marcos Maidana to name a few), and during that period has registered an impressive clean slate of 49-0.
Some of Mayweather’s promotional rhetoric:
‘So, I’m not gonna sit right here and knock Conor McGregor. He’s gone out there and done what he’s had to do. It’s obvious he’s done something right thus far to get to the point where he’s at.
‘I’ve been off for a couple years and I’m 40 years old now. So, I’m a lot older and he’s still in his 20s and I’m in my 40s now. So that could play a major key, we don’t know. And he’s a heavy hitter.
‘Every time he goes out there and defeats fighters, he’s standing up. He’s in a boxing position and he’s beating fighters.
‘Does he have a good chance of upsetting Floyd Mayweather?I can’t say, but anything can happen in the sport of boxing.’
‘I’m just an old legend putting in work.’
Some of the current betting odds by online gambling companies such as Bet365 list McGregor as low as 4/1, and Mayweather a paltry 1/6 (great work by “Money”).
Nonetheless, the weight of money wagered on a McGregor win is actually a distorted view of the real odds.
In reality, McGregor should be 1000/1 (still generous odds), and Mayweather 1/1000 (generous again).
The polarising figure that is Mayweather has been a thorn in the side of many a people; be that his conviction for domestic violence, his ostentatious show of wealth, his tendency for overt gasconade, and/or his pristine undefeated record. Such is the utter disdain for Mayweather, that nothing would satiate their pious glands more, if for some reason, and in some far out parallel universe – McGregor did the unthinkable. And as such, they’ve latched on to Mayweather’s promotional blandishment like inherent rabid dogs.
And thus far, it’s been quite a virtuoso performance by the five-division world boxing champion.
That aside, Mayweather wins on four fronts:
• Certain victory
• Surpasses Rock Marciano’s record of 49-0 (money talks; soon enough, boxing’s governing bodies will have no choice but to sanction the fight).
• Eclipse his own PPV record (4.6 million buys in 2015) vs. Pacquiao.
• Highest paid athlete in the history of sport for 36 or less minutes.
Moses parted the Red Sea, Jesus walked on water, and “TBE” Floyd Mayweather Jr. covertly seduced a generation of sports fan to line his coffers to the tune of maybe half a billion greenbacks (significantly more than what he earned against Pacquiao which was in the region of $180 – $280 million*) to watch a mismatch spectacle that’s already in the books (the chances of McGregor pulling off an upset victory is like it snowing in hell, and should be held as sacrosanct) as I put finger to keyboard.
* Indicates undisclosed amount.
Originally posted at Redboxnews.com