The world of sports is perhaps just as nasty as politics since everyone involved will move heaven and earth in order to win. Controversies aren’t new and it often extends to the person’s personal life. It really is such a shame hearing the nasty things they say to each other but the conflict among players often build up the momentum and urge the viewers to spend money to watch live matches or shell out fees for pay-per-views. And boxing, like some kinds of wrestling, is one of those sports that always attract global attention, especially when played by equally popular players.
The most recent match that has garnered worldwide attention is the one between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Conor McGregor. What makes this fight really notorious is the fact that the latter is not a professional boxer himself but a UFC fighter. For sure many were intrigued about how the fight turns out to be and how well the two of them will fight it out in the arena considering their different backgrounds but some were apparently disappointed at the turn of events when McGregor easily got exhausted several rounds into the fight. It is understandable, though, that he’ll have a harder time lasting the entire 12 rounds of fight in a match that he isn’t accustomed to.
So why am I so sure that Mayweather-McGregor won’t rebound into a moment in time that disrupts boxing and MMA? Two generations from now, couldn’t this boxing match similarly shift and shape the fighting landscape into something none of us ever envisioned?
As difficult as it was to picture McGregor upending Mayweather, the same is true trying to imagine a meaningful effect of what they did together. Rather than an evolutionary jumping-off point, Saturday night seems much more an ode to rationalism. The thing that was supposed to happen did, and Las Vegas wasn’t brought down by an Irish earthquake.
Rest assured: Even as Mayweather-McGregor falls in line with the fight-sport lineage that from time to time aligns boxing with mixed-rules contests, it was its own self-contained thing. This was an event predicated on one simple tease by two giant personalities who convinced millions of people that for $100 they could participate in the novelty of 49-0 versus 0-0, and that the payoff wouldn’t reside in the resoundingly likely outcome, but in the potentially shocking what if.
Even if McGregor didn’t win over Mayweather, he definitely didn’t come home empty-handed simply because theirs was a billion-dollar fight. Mayweather may get the bigger pie but he still does have his fair share as well. Others even claim it has been staged right from the start although it is very different from the long-awaited 2015 match between Mayweather and Pacquiao that is perhaps the most disappointing to fans than this recent (mis)match.
That thing in a boxing ring Saturday night in Las Vegas turned out to be totally real. Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor was a genuine, honest-to-goodness fight.
Ok, so it wasn't a knockdown, drag-out fight. No one got knocked down. No one got dragged out.
But no one demanded a refund. It lasted into the 10th round. (Some thought it might last 10 seconds.) Mayweather was declared the winner by a technical knockout. (Some thought McGregor might be declared DOA by CSI.)
The referee stopped the fight because McGregor looked to be wobbly, exhausted and nearly out on his feet. A minute or two after Mayweather's arm was raised in triumph, he conceded that McGregor gave him a lot harder time than he had expected.
(Via: http://edition.cnn.com/2017/08/27/opinions/mayweather-mcgregor-opinion-downey/index.html)
It seems that it is all about money now. The media hyped up the event and talked about everything else aside from the important issues that matter to the fight the most. It’s clearly a mismatched fight right from the beginning but it is the very concept they sold to fans – two equally great yet different fighters who are both willing to fight in the same ring. A renowned champion that remains undefeated and an underdog that has won the heart of the masses, it is the perfect marketing ploy to get people to spend their money on luxuries like spectator sports. This boxing match might even encourage people to spend their money on life priorities rather than on some senseless made-up violence show meant to attract people that will definitely not get a rematch at all.
What Do You Think About The Mayweather-McGregor Fight? is available on Euro Toques
source https://www.euro-toques.org/2017/10/02/what-do-you-think-about-the-mayweather-mcgregor-fight/
