May-Mac Madness

The circus is officially in town.

Yes, I know Ringling Bros. has shut down its operation.  Not that circus.  I'm talking about the Floyd Mayweather / Conor McGregor circus.

Before I talk about the magnitude of this upcoming bout, let me preface my thoughts by saying that Conor McGregor has no chance in hell of beating Floyd Mayweather in a boxing match.

Sure, Floyd has probably never faced anyone that can punch as hard as McGregor.  I'll concede that "Money" Mayweather has never faced mental warfare at the level that the Notorious one will bring.  Conor is the only man to ever hold two championships at different weight classes simultaneously in the UFC.  He has the strength of an entire country behind him.  He is arguably the more popular and liked fighter at this point than Floyd is.  But, none of that will help him get over his massive shortcoming: he has ZERO professional boxing experience.

McGregor has never strapped on a pair of 12-16 oz. gloves and stepped inside a boxing ring for a professional match.  Mayweather has.  49 times.  And he won every single one of them. 

As much as I can't stand watching Floyd dance around the ring and refuse to engage his opponent in a fight, I do recognize that he is one of the greatest to ever step inside the squared-circle.  He's quick, agile, and virtually unhittable.  He is a master of his craft; Conor is a novice of said craft.

As one-sided as this showdown is likely to be, it still has all the symptoms of a historical moment in combat-sports history.  And the first dosage of this colossal event was given to us last week as the "May-Mac" tour touched down in four cities, in three countries, in four days for a series of press conferences.  It was funny, it was weird, it was awkward, it was obscene, it was ridiculous....and it was friggin' awesome!

Floyd and Conor hurled insults, obscenities, and even money (well, that was just Floyd) at each other.  The insults dug into each others pasts.  Conor struck Floyd with remarks about Floyd's personal blemishes, while Floyd stuck to Conor's shortcomings inside the cage.  They compared bank accounts and star power and neither refused to back down.  At times, the insults came close to crossing the line.  Some were offended by remarks made by Conor that seemed a bit racist, while Floyd left his mark with a sexual-orientation slur.  It was, as UFC president Dana White predicted, a "shit show".

Then there were the outfits.  Floyd kept it casual in workout clothes and jumpsuits, while Conor dazzled with his "Fuck You" pinstripe suit, and his now-infamous "polar bear coat" with no shirt underneath.  Floyd stepped it up for the last press conference, but he was one-upped by the always-fashionable UFC champ.

The press conferences accomplished what they set out do: bring attention to the fight.  Both of these men are fantastic promoters, and for those four days, they were in top form.  Every sports outlet turned all of their attention to the fight (even though it's still a month away).  Even non-sports media jumped on board for the ride.  Anyone who didn't know about the upcoming "Money Fight" sure as hell knows now.

Say what you want about the competitiveness of the upcoming tilt, but there is little doubt that the numbers will be through the roof.  It will break attendance (I've read it may cost up to 10K for ringside seats) and pay-per-view ($100 a pop) records.  It will attract a who's-who of celebrities to pay big money to get through the doors.  It will cause a flood of wager-money for Las Vegas.  It will be one of the most watched pay-per-view spectacles in sports history.  It will be the most talked about event for those final couple of weeks before the fight.  It will be massive.  It will be must-see TV.... and it will be a one-sided beat down.

I've read the backlash.  I've seen the criticism.  I've heard several people say they will not be paying to see this dumb-pointless-WWE-style rubbish.  But let's not kid ourselves.  Sure, you might not shell out 100 bucks to sit at home and watch it; but don't act like you won't be asking around to see who's having a watch party so you can see it for free.

This will be the most talked about sporting event of the summer, maybe even the year.  And, yes, it's kinda silly, mismatched, and serves no purpose other than to provide each fighter with a 9-figure payday.  But we'll all be there August 26 to watch the final act of the circus.  And yes, that includes you.

Call me wrong.  Call me crazy.  I just call it how I see it.  #NailedIt