There’s no question Saturday’s boxing match between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Conor McGregor will bring in loads of money for all sides. Neither is there much debate over who will win.
But should the bout even happen at all?
Not many boxing experts, including former welterweight and light welterweight champion Timothy Bradley Jr., believe it should. In fact, in contributing his opinion to a panel of experts for “The Ring,” the man known as “Desert Storm” could barely bring himself to treat the dog-and-pony show seriously.
“It shouldn’t be a sanctioned fight; it’s ridiculous,” Bradley wrote. “The reason this fight is sanctioned is because boxing has no integrity about (Mayweather). We know that, the fans know that. It’s about entertainment. This fight should be called an exhibition, not boxing, because Conor McGregor has never boxed in his life.”
Bradley isn’t the first person to turn up his nose at this fight, but most boxing purists seem have gotten over their disgust with the bout being sanctioned. Not so for the former WBO and WBC champ, however, who insisted: “I’m not hating. I’m just telling the facts and keeping it real.”
The concern expressed over the fight being sanctioned isn’t merely about protecting the sanctity of the “sweet science,” but an actual matter of protecting McGregor’s livelihood. Surely, there are contract clauses that would prevent McGregor from suing the Nevada State Athletic Commission should he come to real harm, but that wouldn’t undo the damage done to his body — or boxing’s reputation after putting a novice boxer in the ring with the most effective fighter of his era.
There is precedent for the commission refusing to sanction mismatched bouts. Andre Ward, widely considered among the best current boxers pound for pound, had a bout rejected two years ago because the opponent was deemed to be overmatched.
Of course, that opponent — an unknown named Rohan Murdock — wasn’t the moneymaker McGregor is.
For the record, anyway, Bradley sees Mayweather winning by knockout in the 10th round — plus a subsequent challenge by McGregor to bring Mayweather into the octagon.
Thumbnail photo via Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports Images
