Conor McGregor figures out these boxing pressers in a hurry.
Wednesday afternoon in Toronto was proof of that.
After a tough go of things on Tuesday in Los Angeles and a protracted wait as Floyd Mayweather made his way to the press conference, McGregor came to the stage spitting pure fire.
He worked the Canadian crowd into a frenzy by calling out Mayweather in every way imaginable, from his age to his tax problems to his reading ability to his outlandish budget for strippers. He then called out Showtime for allegedly cutting off his microphone on Tuesday before turning his attention to soaking up the adulation he was getting from the crowd.
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Before the thing was 10 minutes old it was clear that Mayweather might as well not even take his time to speak, for how much good it would do to redeem him.
If McGregor had generous crowd support in Los Angeles, he might consider a run for mayor of Toronto based on the rousing ovations he received at every turn, the smattering of Irish flags and the willingness of 15,000 citizens to shout “f–k the Mayweathers” on his very command.
The whole thing was much more in line with what those who know McGregor from his MMA career have come to expect. He’s a gifted orator who generates thoughtful, focused talking points and delivers them in organic ways that come about as he works himself up with his own silver tongue.
It’s unique to the fight game—boxing or MMA—and it’s why Dana White is so quick to draw comparisons between McGregor’s best work and the mind games of Muhammad Ali so many years ago.
It’s not necessarily about the comparing the two in terms of athletic greatness, social impact or historical relevance, but instead it’s about drawing analogy between the cerebral way both men have broken down foes mentally before breaking them down physically.
Today, boxing fans and casual fans got to see that very best of that part of McGregor in a way that wasn’t on display on Tuesday.
Not to be totally outdone, Mayweather got some good digs in himself once he was given a microphone.
While the choreographed chanting and bookbag holding some cash are played out after only a day, Mayweather landed a good shot when he spoke directly to Dana White about how the truly rich guys don’t wear suits because they don’t have to—a line delivered literally inches from McGregor, clad as always in an impeccable outfit (perhaps a moment he wished he’d worn Tuesday’s suit today, instead).
Still, there is no question that this was McGregor’s event. He verbally mopped the floor with Mayweather in a fashion that probably exceeded even the wildest expectations of those who have been excited about this press tour.
All of it—the chirping, the crowd involvement, the drawing Mayweather into a war of words he can’t possibly win—it all worked in every way McGregor could have hoped.
Now he’ll take that momentum on to Brooklyn, where he’ll likely be similarly adored, and then onto London, where he is sure to absolutely tear the house down in front a heavy infusion of Irish imports.
It’s this type of stuff that makes combat sports what it is, straddling the line between athletics and the athletic occult, and no one understands those dark arts better than McGregor.
He reminded everyone of that on Wednesday.
Should he carry that momentum onward through fight night, poor Floyd Mayweather doesn’t have a chance.
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