As expected, the farce that doubled as a boxing match between a convicted criminal and a racist ended with the shady characters laughing their way to the bank. Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor were already counting the cash long before the bell rang over the weekend; with guaranteed purses of $100 million and $30 million, respectively, their only concern going in was how to keep their egos — and their mugs — unmarked. After all, they knew the outcome from the onset; notwithstanding a two-year break from action, the best defensive pugilist of the current generation, and perhaps of all time, was simply not going to lose to a veritable neophyte aiming for a knockout blow.
Certainly, the one-sided nature of the affair brought about the numerous empty seats at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, never mind the penchant of the city’s denizens to take in any and all forms of entertainment. It likewise explained the lopsided numbers seen by sports books; around 85% of the wagers representing just 35% of the value on aggregate went to McGregor, as clear an indication as any that his puncher’s chance appealed to casual bettors. No wonder the venue couldn’t get turnstiles to move despite the deep discounting: The fix was in, and no amount of pre-fight hype could mask it.
To be sure, organizers were banking on pay-per-view returns to provide the wellspring of greenbacks, and rightly so. Even with all the technical issues plaguing PPV access, buy-ins look to have exceeded the record haul Mayweather’s bout with Manny Pacquiao in 2015 generated. That said, few found cause to consider their $100 well spent. McGregor was game, but he couldn’t overcome his technical deficiencies early and ran out of gas late. And not only were there no surprises; the occasional trading of blows whet appetites that were subsequently lost to long and frequent sequences of nothingness inside the ring.
In the aftermath, Mayweather and McGregor had kind words to say to each other. And why not? Every single minute they were inside the ring seeking to trade blows of which their faces ultimately bore little to no vestiges, they literally earned millions. One dominated, the other tried, and the rest of the world is left with no choice but to go back to reality.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is the Senior Vice-President and General Manager of Basic Energy Corp.
