HOW DID YOU score that one?
Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather began their three-country, bi-continental promotional tour tonight in Los Angeles.
And though the underdog Dubliner is expected to win this week’s verbal sparring, he may well have lost the first round on points.
McGregor emerged in front of 11,000 fight fans in downtown LA and was made to wait for the Vegas native. Given the way this fight has been arranged, it was apt.
When Mayweather did arrive to the stage in front of a seemingly pro-McGregor crowd, he sat inscrutably in a Rocky-era tracksuit, while the Irish UFC champion postured typically for the fans in a bespoke suit which he explained had pinstripes made up of the words ‘Fuck you’.
After some redundant and ill-received remarks from the ‘men that made this happen’, the TV executives and promoters ultimately conceded the platform to a visibly pumped-up Dana White.
The red-faced UFC front-man loudly urged the LA audience to welcome his star employee.
And McGregor unpacked a few zingers he’d checked in at Terminal 2.
“He’s in a fucking tracksuit,” he laughed, pointing at Mayweather, who’s attracted the unwelcome interest of the IRS. “He can’t even afford a suit anymore.”
And then for Mystic Mac’s prediction: “He is fucked.”
“There’s no other way about it. I’m going to knock him out inside four rounds, mark my words.
“He will be unconscious inside four rounds. If this was a true fight it wouldn’t even take one round,” he added.
Before the SBG star wrapped up his speech in what was organised more like a drunk best man’s wedding speech than a press conference, he acknowledged someone who’ll witness his first McGregor fight on 26 August.
“Shout-out to my little son Conor Jr watching at home, I’m a daddy now,” he said.” I just look at him and he pushes me on to keep going and do these record breaking events.”
The taxman has reminded Mayweather that Uncle Sam is still waiting on its cut of the Manny Pacquiao fight purse. But if it’s bothering him, he didn’t let it show.
Pacing the stage in front of a grinning Floyd Sr, the veteran boxer reminded his MMA counterpart who was ‘the A side’ on the bill. Repeatedly.
He then called on a young colleague to bring a backpack to the stage from which he revealed a cheque made out for — apparently — $100million. He held it up to the crowd like a kid who’s pulled a shiny Brazil crest from a packet of Paninis.
“Tell that to the taxman” said an unimpressed McGregor.
When the temperature rose and the fighters grew increasingly more touchy, Mayweather asked the crowd “Y’all want me to give it to him, right now?
“Nah we gonna save that for the payday,” he said. They do call him Money.
Tonight was Hollywood, tomorrow the sequel is Toronto and more trash talk.
World’s most unlikeable sports star
The way the likes of Spieth and McIlroy have struggled with consistency shows you the incredible feat it was for Tiger to dominate the way he did for so long, he was the ultimate competitor and I miss him and so does the sport, badly. If he was to get another purple patch I’d pay anything to see him compete again
tiger had no problem finding the hole!
Yes Mr FicIlroy, you’ll need to get the finger out, otherwise there’ll be no “Sir Roderick” for you.
Rory’s problems stem from his putting.
the fact that to putt at the top level you have to be straight and true if your not in real life well it just carried to the greens.
Such bullshit. With that logic Tiger shouldn’t have been able to keep the ball on the green never mind be an all time great putter given his off course behaviour during his peak years!!
McIlroy is hard to like and it possibly comes down to the fact that he doesn’t feel comfortable been honest and just saying publicly that he is British and he should just get on with it and good luck to him. Nationality matters and Harrington and Lowry (if he is dodging mosquito’s) will wear the green with pride.
I doubt he gives a toss what you our anyone else thinks about his nationality, nor should he.
Think it’s everyone else that is defining him, getting pissed if he doesn’t pick their side or their absolute version of Irish identity. Some of the people at this have no problem saying “us” and “we” when talking about British soccer teams like Celtic, Liverpool and Man U. Rory has done more for Ireland than most sports stars.
Think his problems have stemmed from his throwing away the tricolour after one of his major wins and then coming out and saying he felt more British than Irish. If he had used his brains and said nothing at all like McDowell, Clarke and even the Jackal he mightn’t have created the identity problems he now seems to have in the eyes of the public over here. Since then he’s found it almost impossible to row back and the Olympic fiasco hasn’t helped either. Now he’s damned if he does and damned if he doesn’t. His PR men don’t seem to have been very helpful either. The solution…. Just get on with what he’s paid to do and whatever you say, say nathin.
Missing too many short putts all year long, crusifing his game. Needs to learn how to read greens