For a scam to be executed, someone needs to be fooled by something.
No-one’s being fooled by Mayweather-McGregor, they’re just enjoying it for all its worth and how the hell could they not?
It’s not lost on the world that we’re building up to a fight between what is virtually an unknown quantity in this field and a man who has long since relaid the field and built up his own empire on top of its turf. It’s not like nobody realises this is an MMA fighter taking on one of the greatest boxers of all time – in boxing.
No-one’s being tricked here, they’re fully aware of the score.
But, Jesus, they’re interested to see how it turns out anyway and they’re going to milk dry the surreal reality of an Irish man having a shot at Floyd f**king Mayweather – and not just any Irish man, one with no boxing record and one who still stands there with complete confidence and calls you crazy if you actually believe for one second that he won’t bounce his head off the bloodied canvas.
Yes, it’s audacious. Yes, it’s even bizarre. But Christ almighty, this is exhilarating.
It’s not difficult to sympathise with hardcore boxing fans who have a vested interest in the sanctity of this sport. It’s easier to feel sorry for the actual boxer with big dreams dripping sweat and pouring blood every week trying to make any kind of inroads in a passion, a game, and a life he’s dedicated everything to. When they see a man who hasn’t even won an area title stroll along to be handed what will probably be the biggest pay-per-view fight in history, it’s got to sting – of course it has.
But what boxer in the world sells out arenas for a bloody press conference?
Who else does Floyd Mayweather fight – in any sport, anywhere on this planet – that would garner the same magnetic excitement as that which Conor McGregor has already brought?
The fact of the matter is that this event is selling, and will continue to sell like no other, not because Floyd has the record and the prestige, but because all that is on the line against Conor McGregor.
The McGregor factor is the sell for this fight.
Going for 50-0 against anyone else? People would watch it, sure. The world wouldn’t though.
It’s the same premise that Rocky was built on. A wildcard getting to stand face-to-face with one of the best ever and, with one fight, if he has enough in him, he could achieve genuine immortality.
But it’s not like this guy has just been plucked from nowhere. McGregor has the polarising personality, he has the showmanship and the name but he has backed it up every time he was asked to. He’s a history-maker in his own sport, he’s beaten some of the best across three different weight classes and he did it all in record-quick time.
On Wednesday night in Toronto, he gave an exhibition. And it wasn’t in scamming the public or overhyping a fight, it was a modern day lesson in rallying troops. It was a hair-raising oration from a man who seems increasingly pissed off that his chances are being mocked. A passionate fighter demanding respect and, yes, an entertainer bouncing back from a bad first day.
With one probing look of the crowd, with gritted teeth and raw anger, Conor McGregor looked nearly 15,000 fans square in the eyes and ordered them to follow him.
Take a breath, prepare to make history.
There was real emotion in the Dub’s smacking down of the microphone stand laid out for him at the second press conference. You could tell he felt sincerely disrespected and he wasn’t going to let anyone away with any of that shit again. So he proceeded to make Toronto his own for the night – the rest of you can sit there and watch.
Perhaps it’s the brashness that’s drawing people to this man. There are men and women without one interest in sport tuning in to watch an Irish native strut around a world stage with pure conviction and the balls to tell one of the finest athletes on earth to go f**k himself. It’s captivating how he can drag thousands along with him too in that quest to stick two fingers up to the world so you can stand tall yourself and say, ‘I am’.
Maybe it’s just an Irish thing. Maybe he’s made some of the nation a little prouder, more self-assertive. Maybe he’s encouraged them all to stick their chests out today and believe.
And this is from the damn press conference.
However he’s manoeuvred his way into this position – whether it’s hype, whether it’s hot air or whatever else – he’s here because of his own work and he’s here because people genuinely want to see this fight.
Is it any more deceptive than years of teasing and building up to a fight with Pacquiao only for one man to put on a defensive masterclass and control his way safely and boringly through the rounds?
The world is caught up in the drama of this one and all the what ifs and possibilities – however fake you think it might be. No-one’s being scammed – they’re just enjoying a thrilling promotion and they’re going to enjoy a complete underdog get his shot at the absolute big time. It doesn’t get any bigger than this.
You, on the other hand, always have the option of turning it off. Or not tuning in in the first place.
