We’re days removed from Floyd Mayweather Jr. improving to 50-0 by stopping Conor McGregor via a 10th round TKO, and the world is still talking about the fight.
The fight may not have lived up to the hype, but it was not the circus as some boxing purists feared it’d be. Fans were satisfied because it was an entertaining bout, which isn’t always the case for pay-per-view events.
In victory, Mayweather earned himself yet another nine-figure payday. Once all of the PPV numbers come in, he could become the first boxer to gross a billion dollars for his career. In defeated McGregor stature and celebrity status got bigger, and will earn a minimum of 30 million dollars and upwards of 100 million dollars depending on the number of pay per view buys.
While he left defeated, McGregor’s stature and celebrity status got bigger. He’s not walking away poor by any means, as he’ll earn a minimum of $30 million and upwards of $100 million, also dependant on the number of PPV buys.
There were more bets on this fight than this year’s Super Bowl, which means we may see another boxer versus MMA fighter in boxing if the two combatants are big enough names.
Here are three things we learned from Mayweather vs. McGregor:
1. Mayweather Is Still Arguably The Biggest Draw In Sports
This event wouldn’t have been nearly as huge as it was if not for Mayweather. Yes, McGregor is a global star himself, but he’s nowhere near Pretty Boy Floyd’s level.
The top four combat sports pay-per-view events in history have all featured Mayweather. Despite having a 23-month layoff, fans and celebrities were all eager to watch him do his thing in the ring one more time.
2. McGregor Proved His Doubters Wrong
Although he lost, McGregor did far better than anybody could have expected. Some, like ESPN’s Max Kellerman, thought he wouldn’t be able to lay a glove on Mayweather.
Others expected Conor to fall on his face trying to punch Floyd. Just about everybody predicted this would be a mismatch from the opening bell. But McGregor fared better than one could have expected for a guy making his professional debut against a legendary fighter.
The first half of the fight was competitive, and the 111 punches he landed on Mayweather through 10 rounds were 30 more than Manny Pacquiao landed in 12 rounds against Mayweather in 2015.
3. This Was Mayweather’s Final Fight
Mayweather said after the fight that this was his final fight and by all accounts, he means it this time.
Yes, he said it in 2008 and again in 2015 that he’s retiring only to be lured back into the ring for a hefty payday. But this time, age is factoring into his decision to stay away from the ring.
He’ll be 41 in February and even though he scored his first knockout since 2011, he’s clearly not the same fighter he once was. He was getting hit far more often than we’re used to seeing and isn’t as quick as he used to be.
The only thing Mayweather loves more than his undefeated record is his family and money, and he won’t risk coming out of retirement to jeopardize his unblemished record against a young, hungry challenger. He’ll stay retired at 50-0 and continue his job as a promoter.
