Dubbed the bout of the century, the showdown between former boxing champion Floyd Mayweather and cage fighting hero Conor McGregor is viewed by many as a joke.
Boxing fans are astounded that a fighter of such repute as Mayweather would want to go back into the ring after retiring.
Once the highest earning sportsman in the world and a hard-hitter in the ring with a 49-0 pro record – Mayweather is taking on Ultimate Fighting champion McGregor, who has never fought in the ring but has a history in the cage.
The outcome is obvious.
Even though Mayweather has not lifted a fist in anger since September 2015, the smart money – and there is a lot of it – is on him.
TV revenue booster
Previous fights between boxers and cage fighters have not gone well for the cage men.
McGregor may have the edge on fitness, but he has no skill or finesses as a boxer and is unlikely to last long against the purist Mayweather, who has fast hands that pack a punch.
Just think back to the mess Mayweather made of some of the greatest boxers of his generation and review McGregor’s plodding gait in that context.
It’s a ridiculous one-off contest designed to boost TV revenues for the promoters and Mayweather’s retirement income.
Come the end of the fight on August 26, no one is a winner. Mayweather and McGregor are taking part in a circus and the audience are suckers handing over their hard-earned cash for a meaningless non-event.
Gloves are off
Both are trotting out social media posts full of insults and bravado in a bid to build the fight into a grudge match to attract even more viewers.
The gloves may be off, but no one is really taking them seriously.
Mayweather is not the first athlete to turn a buck by trying his hand by crossing disciplines.
The great Muhammad Ali turned out against Japanese wrestler Antonio Inoki and duly dispatched him.
Other sports have had their embarrassing moments too.
Olympic gold sprinter Jesse Owens ran against race horses and Michael Johnson was tested against Donovan Bailey in a match billed to find the world’s fastest man.
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