By Gabriel Princewill-
Floyd Mayweather put up a dominant display against Conor McGregor , stopping him after 10 rounds in an overhyped lucrative boxing contest.
The fight branded a circus show by many during the build up, captured the imagination of boxing and UFC fans the world over. McGregor was always going to come out a loser in this phenomenally grand showcase rewarded with a stupendous amount of monetary returns. Mayweather received in excess of £300m, whilst McGregor ended up with about £30m for turning up.
Mayweather, with this win, pushed his record to 50-0(27ko’s) , beating Rocky Marciano’s unbeaten record of 49 straight wins. Unfortunately, Mayweather will be historically begrudged by many boxing analysts for using on a none boxer to surpass Marciano in the history books.
Boxing in many respects is a subjective sport; its interpretations and perceptions largely hinging on individual opinions. Mayweather did not beat a boxer in Las Vegas on Saturday night, but he won a boxing match against an opponent who presented enough adversity in the ring comparable to opposition of some of his previous opponents.
A fair benchmark for objective comparison can be made by assessing Rocky Marciano’s 49 opponents for one with a similar ability or standard of opposition as McGregor. Boxing scribes will surely find more than a few of those. The fight staged in Las Vegas was more about financial gains and historical recognition than it was about political correctness of the sport.
After the fight, the brash American announced he would retire after this victory
“This was my last fight tonight. For sure,” Mayweather said. “Tonight was my last fight. Tonight I chose the right dance partner to dance with. Conor you are a hell of a champion.”
“A win is a win, no matter how you get it,” Mayweather said. “Rocky Marciano is a legend, and I look forward to going into the Hall of Fame one day.”
The extravagant and ostentatious five weight division champion’s place in the Hall of fame is an assured position he cannot be denied.
Far from being the most exciting fighter of his time, Mayweather’s adept skills of genius, and improvisational magic has made him the richest and best pound for pound boxer of his generation. McGregor was not given a hope in hell against Mayweather, a perception which proved right when we saw what eventually transpired.
DECENT
That said, McGregor put up decent opposition and was certainly more successful in the accurate delivery of his shots than many of Mayweather’s previous opponents have been. The Irishman also lasted longer than many of Mayweather’s previous foes, stretching the fight as far as 10 rounds, and finishing on his feet. Notwithstanding Mayweather’s two years absence from the ring.
“Our game plan was to take our time, go to him, let him shoot his shots early and then take him out down the stretch,” Mayweather said after the fight. “We know in MMA he fights for 25 minutes. After 25 minutes, he started to slow down. I guaranteed to everybody that this wouldn’t go the distance”.
Speaking about his assessment of Mayweather, McGregor said:
“He’s composed, he’s not that fast, he’s not that powerful, but boy, is he composed in there,” McGregor said. “I thought it was close, though, and I thought it was a bit of an early stoppage. I was just a little fatigued. He was just a lot more composed with his shots”.
PRECISE
Mayweather’s shots were unarguably crispier and more precise than his inexperienced opponent. He finished the fight emphatically in the 10th round, after landing a numbe rof unanswered punches on McGregor, compelling the referee to intervene and wave the fight off.