by Cliff Rold
Whatever one thinks about it, we’ve arrived at the biggest boxing event of the year (Showtime PPV, 9 PM EST/6 PM PST). If you miss it, years of history says Showtime will replay the festivities in one week for the cost of a standard monthly subscription.
It will be the biggest replay of the year by then.
In boxing, biggest is a simple concept. The fight that makes the most money and has the most people watching is the biggest.
Period.
It’s not the apocalypse that 2017’s biggest event only features one boxer. As much as some will point out that boxing and mixed martial arts are ‘two different sports,’ they ultimately both come down to the same base concept.
Two people are fighting.
From there, it’s a matter of rules and refinements. Those things matter greatly but, as has been shown in the last couple months, one can sell around them. This isn’t the first time boxing versus MMA has occurred. UFC put Randy Couture-James Toney on the air. Holly Holm left boxing because MMA was more lucrative.
This event is unique because it’s the MMA guy coming across the street in a high profile way. No matter the amount of money he’s making, Conor McGregor deserves respect for the sheer balls he’s showing doing this.
He’s risking and likely will receive humiliation in front of the whole world for the sort of life altering income that could put his grandkids through college if handled properly. Love or hate this event, at the end of the day these are still two human beings punching each other for our entertainment.
But will we be entertained?
Let’s go to the report card.
The Ledger
Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Titles: None
Previous Titles: Lineal/WBC Jr. Lightweight (1998-2002, 8 Defenses); Lineal/Ring/WBC Lightweight (2002-04, 3 Defenses); WBC Jr. Welterweight (2005); IBF Welterweight (2006); Lineal/Ring/WBC Welterweight (2006-08, 1 Defense); WBC Jr. Middleweight (2007); Lineal World Welterweight (2010-15, 6 Defenses); WBC Welterweight (2011-15, 5 Defenses); WBA “Super” Super Welterweight (2012-15, 1 Defense); Ring Magazine Welterweight (2013-15, 4 Defenses); TBRB/Ring Magazine Jr. Middleweight (2013-15, 1 Defense); WBC Super Welterweight (2013-15, 1 Defense); WBA Welterweight (2014-15, 3 Defenses); TBRB Welterweight (2015, 1 Defense); WBO Welterweight (2015)
Age: 40
Height: 5’8
Weight: 149 ½ lbs.
Hails from: Grand Rapids, Michigan
Record: 49-0, 26 KO
Record in Major Title Fights: 27-0, 10 KO including lineal (26-0, 10 KO, WBC/WBA/IBF/WBO only)
Current/Former World Champions Faced: 22 (Genaro Hernandez RTD8; Gregorio Vargas UD12; Diego Corrales TKO10; Carlos Hernandez UD12; Jesus Chavez TKO9; Jose Luis Castillo UD12, UD12; DeMarcus Corley UD12; Arturo Gatti RTD6; Sharmba Mitchell TKO6; Zab Judah UD12; Carlos Baldomir UD12; Oscar De La Hoya SD12; Ricky Hatton TKO10; Juan Manuel Marquez UD12; Shane Mosley UD12; Victor Ortiz KO4; Miguel Cotto UD12; Robert Guerrero UD12; Saul Alvarez MD12; Marcos Maidana MD12, UD12; Manny Pacquiao UD12; Andre Bert UD12)
Vs.
Conor McGregor
Age: 29
Title: None
Previous Titles: None
Height: 5’9
Weight: 153
Hails from: Dublin, Ireland
Record: 0-0
Current/Former World Champions/Titlists Faced: 0
Grades
Speed: Mayweather A-; McGregor
Power: Mayweather B; McGregor
Defense: Mayweather A+; McGregor
Intangibles: Mayweather A+; McGregor
Because this is a boxing match, what McGregor accomplished in MMA is irrelevant once the fight breaks out here. We don’t know what he looks like fighting under strict boxing rules so laying down grades would be sort of pointless. We’ll find out Saturday.
The real main event, the build for all this, is over. Now we’re on to the anti-climactic finish.
All anyone really needs to know is:
Mayweather is one of the greatest boxers of all time.
McGregor has never been in a straight professional boxing match.
The Pick
Mayweather wins.
Let’s call it a knockout on a body shot.
Report Card Picks 2017: 27-12
Cliff’s Notes…
There are some interesting in-ring fights this weekend…On the Mayweather-McGregor undercard, look for cruiserweight Andrew Tabiti to make a statement and perhaps even end the career of veteran Steve Cunningham…Also look for Badou Jack to earn a hard fought decision over Nathan Cleverly to make his arrival at light heavyweight…For those who aren’t interested in Saturday’s media circus, or who are happy to wait for the Showtime replay, HBO (9:45 PM EST) has a doubleheader that may have two good fights. There is at least one…Rey Vargas makes his first defense of the WBC 122 lb. title a Ronny Rios who has waded through a professional decade to get a title shot. He’ll give his all but it probably won’t be quite enough. The pick is Vargas to retain…Finally, Miguel Cotto has a chance to add a vacant WBO belt at 154 lbs. as he heads towards the end. In his prime, one would assume a lopsided victory over a guy as game but limited as Yoshihiro Kamegai but Cotto is almost 37 years old. Kamegai hasn’t fought in year, and it’s head scratching that a win over Jesus Soto Karass a year ago would line one up for a vacant title shot, but the Japanese battler makes good TV fights. If Cotto is done, a hungry Kamegai could make this interesting. If Cotto still has close to what he had when last we saw him with Canelo Alvarez, he wins and Kamegai gets roughed up. Either way, the pick is Cotto.
Cliff Rold is the Managing Editor of BoxingScene, a founding member of the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board, and a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. He can be reached at roldboxing@hotmail.com
