The recent boxing match between Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor was one for the history books. After months of hype and promotion leading up to the fight, it was finally here. The undefeated (49-0) Mayweather was to take on McGregor, who was unproven as a boxer, but a ruthless MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) fighter, with a record of 21-3. Throughout the time leading up to the fight there was a great deal of trash talk coming from both sides, turning more people’s attention to the upcoming night, and serving as promotion. McGregor challenged Floyd by saying that “Floyd don’t want none of this” even though he was the clear underdog. McGregor had never fought a boxer under their rules, and to get in the ring with one of the best boxers in the history of the sport. He set out to prove that a talented fighter like himself could step into an arena with anybody.
Although Floyd was going for 50-0, a record that would make him the best boxer in history, the majority of people were rooting for McGregor, for several reasons. The first was simply that he was the underdog. Kyle Marsh summed up the thoughts of many by saying “I wanted McGregor to win because it’s more entertaining to root for the underdog”. Also, many people had lost respect for Mayweather when he was accused for domestic abuse and even served 90 days in prison. Lastly, as Sean Flaherty put it, many people “really respected him (McGregor) for being willing to leave his comfort zone of MMA into boxing”. Even with everyone cheering for McGregor, the odds were still stacked heavily against him, and everyone knew he had almost no chance. The question was not who would win, but how long would McGregor last.
The fight was supposed to be an unfair mismatch and Mcgregor was expected to lose within the first few rounds. He was inexperienced in boxing, and it showed. At one point in the fight the ref had to break it up as McGregor was hitting Mayweather on the back, something prohibited in boxing. However, he still outlasted what many would have presumed before the fight. He finally lost in the 10th round as the ref had to step in and declare Floyd the victor. With the 40 year old’s 50th victory, it placed him in a club of his own, as the only boxer to be undefeated at 50 wins. Additionally, the fight reportedly pushed his net worth into the billions, joining Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods as the only ones in all of sports history to accomplish that.
All in all, a mismatch fight hyped up to the max turned out to be worth the hype, as many were satisfied with what they saw. As Ryan Torgeson put it, “the fight was worth the hype because it was tightly contested throughout and I was shocked at the back and forth battle, especially from McGregor”. The legendary match will go down in history as it represented perfectly what boxing is about.