Mayweather-McGregor a ‘shameless cash grab’

SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA—Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s garb was the outright giveaway.

Cloaked in a hooded robe and a ski mask as he strutted to the ring for his fusion fight with octagon king Conor McGregor last Saturday night, Mayweather appeared like a stickup artist.

The larceny he pulled off at the expense of the sweet science and a hapless, overmatched McGregor at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas was shouted from the highest steeple by the media the morning after.

“More fraud than fight,” screamed one. “Fleece of the century,” bellowed another. “A shameless cash grab,” roared yet another.

Sold by two talkative welterweights with a flair for drama and a talent for marketing, the fight could become the most profitable combat sports event ever.

Never mind that the bout has been tagged “a wildly lucrative contrivance posing as a boxing match for the ages” by the New York Times. Pay per view forecasts say at least 50 million people watched it in the United States and millions more worldwide.

With Mayweather guaranteed to pocket $100 million and McGregor $30 million minus PPV income and sponsorship money, why, both protagonists have taken an escapist sporting world to the cleaners.

Mayweather who has carefully picked his opponents on the way to a previous 49-0 boxing record, has predicted he would pocket about $300 million after win number 50.

Money will make more in one night than any American professional football, basketball or major league baseball player in their entire career (except sponsorships).

The fight itself, although clouded with cynicism, was entertaining. It was highway robbery as expected, but not before the befuddled Floyd faced McGregor’s flurries of punches, his bullying and switching stance from southpaw to conventional.

Clearly, Mayweather’s attention was darting in and out while pinpointing where the “Irish Gorilla,” a mixed martial arts warrior without even one round of boxing to his name, and his next punch would come from.

Finally, a miffed Mayweather did something rash—he went on offense, connecting with telling blows before the referee stopped the fight in the 10th to spare “some measure of McGregor’s cognitive abilities,” said a ringside reporter.

I disagree with the notion that the country’s gold medal in basketball was what mattered most after our yet another dismal stint in the Southeast Asian Games.

All metals mined by our delegation are precious but what stands out the most is the decathlon gold won by Aries Toledo, who happens to be my “kailyan” (town mate) in Cuyapo, Nueva Ecija.

I will strongly argue that Toledo, a 27-year old agriculture and fisheries major at Central Luzon State University, is the best all-round athlete at the 29th SEA Games.

The mango did not fall far from the tree. Aries’ late dad, Arturo, erstwhile barangay captain of Cuyapo’s tough Distrito Uno, was my grade and high school chum. In our youth, he excelled as a runner and basketball player.

A hero’s welcome led by Mayor Florida Esteban marked Toledo’s return to Cuyapo Tuesday.