Let me first preface by saying that I think the August 26th fight between Floyd ‘Money’ Mayweather and Conor ‘Notorious’ McGregor is a complete and utter farce. In a Boxing ring everything matters, and the nuanced differences between MMA and the Sweet Science (the heavier gloves, the twelve three minute rounds as opposed to 3/5 five minute rounds, even the footwear will all have an effect on Conor’s performance) mean that McGregor will likely enter the ring on the 26th August like a deer caught in a car’s headlights.
Not exactly known for his engine, Conor will have to learn how to manage his energy to suit the specific rigors of a Boxing match in a relatively minuscule amount of time, a skill which has eluded many talented Boxers with a career’s worth of Boxing experience behind them. It’s not going to happen, and he is going to lose for this reason among many others.
The ‘fight’ is nothing more than a cheap trick to allow Mayweather to surpass Rocky Marciano’s 49 and 0 record, all the while manipulating millions upon millions of dollars out of the pocket of well meaning, but ultimately suckered, Boxing fans, both the casual and hard-core alike. The casual will be enthralled by the allure of what will undoubtedly be an enormous event defined by a clash of two disciplines which are poles apart from each other across the spectrum of contact sports. The hard-core will likely be intrigued by the various narratives that are to emerge over the next two months as the fight nears. A freak-show is a spectacle which even the most moral and self-aware individual cannot help but to offer a sideways glance towards, and so it will be when the Mayweather v McGregor abomination lurches into Las Vegas. That the fight is great business, if not great sport, should not be in question.
As an exhibition, a fight between one of the most skilled defensive Boxers of all time and the flagship fighter of a rival discipline (the only serious potential usurper to Boxing’s Crown as the premier combat sport on the planet, the UFC, no less) could possibly claim to be honourable if it was to be a genuine and thoughtful examination of whether it is possible for a supremely skilled MMA fighter to defeat, or perform well against, an elite Boxer. To be able to claim any semblance of nobility the fight would have to be free to view, as opposed to costing a likely $100. Of course, that is not what this event is about, and deep down even supporters of this fight must be aware that they are being used by Mayweather to get him over the 50-0 line with minimal risk
Once the final bell has sounded (with Conor McGregor comprehensively beaten), how is it possible for Mayweather to emerge as a winner, not in a literal sense, but in a figurative one? Should Mayweather operate at even 50% of his usual level, he should still have no excuses to beat McGregor in any fashion other than a convincing one. If this is true, it is conceivable that there will be a negative impact on Mayweather’s already debatable legacy when/if the fight is a dull, one sided affair. Rightly or wrongly, his cautious performance against Manny Pacquiao drew the ire of many within both the press and the fan-base of Boxing, and was a useful stick for those who felt let down by ‘The Fight of the Century’ to beat Mayweather with. He’ll gain no plaudits for wiping the floor with a man who has never Boxed as a professional. He’ll be derided if he struggles to beat his amateur opponent. And should the unthinkable happen and Conor, against all the odds, manages to find Floyd’s chin with a KO blow, both his own reputation and the image of Boxing will find itself with an enormous black eye to tend. Boxing will survive, but Mayweather would need to give up ever trying to convince us again that he is ‘TBE’.
If the viewing public are to get their money’s worth, there seems to be only one option; Mayweather will have to carry Conor McGregor. Let me explain exactly what I mean. Contrary to all his natural instincts, Mayweather will have to consciously offer McGregor a chance of beating him, on the surface at least. Loosening the defensive shackles and adopting a more positive, attacking mind-set would arguably be one way that he could put his chin at risk and give the fans a fight to enjoy. Mayweather has an opportunity to change the minds of some of his naysayers, but only if he adapts his style to give McGregor at least a chance of looking good himself. Floyd will be able to say that he beat the amateur by fighting aggressively and on the front foot, rather than timidly on the back. And while ‘Money’ may not be known for his attacking instincts, but he has shown glimpses of a willingness to trade in the pocket over his career, and he’ll be as much of a shoo-in to best McGregor fighting this way as he would be by adopting his usual defence-centric style.
But If Floyd dips into his deep bag of defensive tricks then Conor is unlikely to land a meaningful punch the entire fight and that $100 will have been spent on another damp squib. Floyd will either waltz to a 12-round whitewash having exerted minimum effort, or a frustrated Conor will go all Victor Ortiz and we’ll see the Irishman disqualified for, I don’t know, kicking Mayweather in the head. Whether Floyd has any intention of adapting his style to become more fan-friendly is an open question and one which neither he or anybody in his camp will be keen to reveal.
On the other hand, all my talk about Floyd needing to carry McGregor if he is to limit damage to his reputation is moot if Mayweather does not give a damn what you, I, or anybody else thinks about him. I’ve little doubt that having a hundred million dollars burning a hole in the back pocket of your shell suit goes a rather long way to insulating a person from the effects of criticism. Should Floyd be completely and utterly immune to whatever people say or think about him, and it is conceivable that he is, then expect to see the shoulder roll return with a vengeance and McGregor shut out even more comprehensively than the 49 that came before him. For those that will be paying their $100 come what may, you had better hope and pray that Mayweather has paid your desire to be entertained even the slightest attention.