Gervonta Davis is a perfect 18-0 over his professional career with 17 knockout victories. Davis will defend the IBF junior lightweight title against Francisco Fonseca in the co-main event of Mayweather vs. McGregor.
The 22-year-old champion is a massiv…
Gervonta Davis is a perfect 18-0 over his professional career with 17 knockout victories. Davis will defend the IBF junior lightweight title against Francisco Fonseca in the co-main event of Mayweather vs. McGregor.
The 22-year-old champion is a massive -3000 betting favorite (wager $3,000 to win $100) to successfully defend his title with a victory at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com. A fast-rising star in the boxing world, Davis’ last two wins have come against previously undefeated opponents.
Davis picked up a TKO win in the seventh round of his title fight against Jose Pedraza (who was 22-0) to win the championship, and successfully defended it with a third-round TKO against then 21-0 Liam Walsh. The speed and power of Davis make him an extremely impressive boxer who will be tough for anyone in his division to beat.
Francisco Fonseca hopes to be up to the task as a +1100 (wager $100 to win $1,100) underdog. The 23-year-old super featherweight out of Costa Rica is 19-0-1 with 13 knockouts to his name. While Fonseca is no pushover, Davis enters this fight as the clear-cut favorite due to the pure dominance he’s shown against all opponents to this point.
In what projects to be a more competitive fight, Badou Jack is stepping up in weight class to face Nathan Cleverly for the WBA light heavyweight title. Jack vacated the WBC super middleweight title to move up in weight to this division. He owns a 21-1-2 career record and sits at -450 on the boxing odds for the bout.
Cleverly (+325) started his professional career off with a 26-0 record and enjoyed a long reign as the WBO light heavyweight champion. He has gone just 4-3 over his last seven fights, but one of those wins was last October against Jurgen Brahmer to earn his current belt. Jack appears to be in better form, but Cleverly could pull off the upset if he struggles with the rise in weight class.
Other fights on the undercard include Andrew Tabiti vs. Steve Cunningham for the USBA cruiserweight title. All of these fights will lead into the main event between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Conor McGregor, which will now be fought with eight-ounce gloves as opposed to the standard 10-ounce gloves.
The Mount Rushmore of upsets.
Regardless of your generation or sport of choice, the top candidates for chiseled-granite immortality can probably be plucked from a similar crop of wannabes.
The New York Jets in Super Bowl III.
North Carolina State in th…
The Mount Rushmore of upsets.
Regardless of your generation or sport of choice, the top candidates for chiseled-granite immortality can probably be plucked from a similar crop of wannabes.
The New York Jets in Super Bowl III.
North Carolina State in the NCAA Final Four.
The U.S. men’s hockey team in the 1980 Winter Olympics.
And Buster Douglas in Tokyo against Mike Tyson.
Their images—Joe Namath’s finger wag, Jim Valvano’s hug pursuit, Jim Craig’s flag-draped search for his father and Iron Mike’s loopy reach for his mouthpiece—have for good reason lingered for decades past their final buzzers and bells.
But they all might be pushed aside come Aug. 27.
Should ConorMcGregor fulfill his bratty Irish prophecy and actually land a knockout blow to the chin of unbeaten Hall of Fame-bound Floyd Mayweather, the next-day resonance from Las Vegas could reshape perceptions of upsets—and boxing itself—for several years to come.
Forget the odds, which have tangibly narrowed since the idea of the bout was initially floated, and just imagine the reaction you’d have if the superstar known as Money was laid out for a 10-count.
Mayweather, for all his faults, is a five-division world champion who’s won each and every one of his 49 bouts since turning pro as a precocious 19-year-old in 1996.
Not only has his run equaled the signature numerical dominance established by ex-heavyweight champ Rocky Marciano from 1947 to 1955, but only one judge in his 23 distance fights has ever turned in a scorecard favoring his opponent.
That was Tom Kaczmarek, whose slight 115-113 lean toward Oscar De La Hoya in 2007 made that fight the only split decision on Mayweather’s otherwise unchallenged resume.
McGregor, meanwhile, has never boxed as a pro or amateur, rendering the very idea he can compete with a functioning Mayweather—let alone actually beat him, even at age 40—almost comical.
If it happens, though, the laughter from the “boxing is dead” crowd will be deafening.
And the scars incurred by the “boxing is king” crowd might be permanent.
“I am no stranger to being the underdog on paper. I am a seasoned veteran and I am confident that I am the better man. After Saturday, August 26, I will be a god of boxing.”
Though some would dismiss a contrary result as a fluke, or try to rationalize it with claims that a too-old Mayweather didn’t take the challenge seriously, it’d be hard to come up with a substantive argument that’d override the casual fan’s image of the era’s greatest boxer losing to a guy in his first fight.
To that end, too, no promotional hyperbole or manufactured menace would prevent UFC boss Dana White and Co. from claiming—with powerful evidence—that his octagonal empire is the gold standard of combat sports and boxing is little more than a less entertaining, four-sided diversion.
If Mayweather wins, McGregor can go back to the cage and dare his conqueror to take a similar risk and step outside of his comfort zone. But if McGregor wins, the debate is over before it begins and it’d be a long time—and it’d take a generational talent—to get the playing field anywhere close to level again.
Not exactly the best news for the likes of De La Hoya, a longtime Mayweather enemy whose operation is putting on a long-awaited middleweight fight between Canelo Alvarez and GennadyGolovkin three Saturdays after Mayweather-McGregor leaves town.
It’s been hard enough for those championship-caliber 160-pounders to get noticed since the Aug. 26 spectacle was officially announced and the subsequent press tour commenced, but if McGregor is 1-0 come that Sunday morning, the Golden Boy might want to consider a gig with a little more security.
Something in the communications department at the White House, perhaps.
“If you look at this thing and you look at how big this fight is and you look at how big these athletes are that are involved in this fight, if Conor does knock Floyd Mayweather out, he is the biggest athlete on earth,” White said, via MMA Junkie. “He’s the biggest athlete (on this planet), on other planets—he’s the biggest athlete. It’s pretty crazy.”
When Floyd Mayweather last stepped into a ring nearly two years ago to fight Andre Berto, he thought he was doing it for the last time.
This time, Mayweather says his impending retirement is for real.
“I gave my word to Al Haymon. I gave my word …
When Floyd Mayweather last stepped into a ring nearly two years ago to fight Andre Berto, he thought he was doing it for the last time.
This time, Mayweather says his impending retirement is for real.
“I gave my word to Al Haymon. I gave my word to my children. And one thing I don’t want to do is break that. … This will be my last fight,” Mayweather said Thursday at a media conference call for his Aug. 26 fight against ConorMcGregor.
Mayweather, who retired after earning a unanimous-decision win over Berto in September 2015, spent most of the conference call reflecting on a career that ranks among the greatest in boxing history. He would set an all-time record with 50 wins without a defeat should he beat McGregor, breaking a tie with Rocky Marciano.
“I don’t try to focus on other fighters, but I’m appreciative for every fighter that paved the way for me to be where I’m at,” Mayweather said. “Even though this is No. 50, this is my 50th fight, that’s not my focus. My focus is to give the fans an exciting fight. … Rocky Marciano is a legend. Rocky Marciano did it his way. I’d just like to it the Mayweather way.”
McGregor, the most famous face in mixed martial arts, is making his boxing debut after becoming the first fighter in UFC history to simultaneously hold two championships. Some have wondered whether McGregor, in the prime of his career, is taking too big of a risk switching sports altogether in a match that could lower his star power.
Mayweather said he believes his decision to put his undefeated record on the line is more of a risk.
“I believe I’m taking the bigger risk, I have the 49-0 record,” Mayweather said. “When a fighter has lost before, if he loses again, they say it’s nothing he lost before. But when a boxer has been dominating for twentysome years, never lost, everything is on the line. My legacy, my boxing record, everything is on the line.”
Mayweather also doubled down on his comments acknowledging that he may have lost a step at age 40.
“I’m just being honest, I don’t think I’m the same Floyd Mayweather I was 21 years ago, of course not. I don’t think I’m the same Floyd Mayweather that I was 10 years ago. I’m not even the same Floyd Mayweather I was five or two years ago. But I said I still have a high IQ in that ring, and I said experience wise it leans towards me,” he said.
The fight will take place using eight-ounce gloves, rather than the standard 10-ounce gloves, thanks to a waiver granted by the Nevada State Athletic Commission. McGregor typically fights using four-ounce gloves in UFC while boxing typically requires 10-ounce gloves for any weight class above 147 pounds.
Mayweather said that was put in place to avoid excuses on either side, saying, “I’m not really worried about the outcome, I’m worried about excitement. I understand he’s used to fighting in four-ounce gloves…I want to make him feel as comfortable as possible. I’m not going to have any excuses, and I don’t want him to have any excuses.”
As for his post-boxing career, Mayweather said he will focus on real estate ventures, his children and his Mayweather Productions business. He said he wants to leave a legacy behind for his children to take over the businesses and expand them once they graduate from college.
Floyd Mayweather Jr. announced Thursday he will retire following his Aug. 26 fight against Conor McGregor.
Money made things official with a post on the Mayweather Promotions Twitter account:
This …
Floyd Mayweather Jr. announced Thursday he will retire following his Aug. 26 fight against Conor McGregor.
Money made things official with a post on the Mayweather Promotions Twitter account:
This article will be updated to provide more information on this story as it becomes available.
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Acumen.
Noun; the ability to make good judgments and quick decisions, typically in a particular domain. Synonyms include astuteness, shrewdness, acuity and sharpness.
It’s a versatile word, used from business to academics to, you guessed it, athle…
Acumen.
Noun; the ability to make good judgments and quick decisions, typically in a particular domain. Synonyms include astuteness, shrewdness, acuity and sharpness.
It’s a versatile word, used from business to academics to, you guessed it, athletics.
Athletics as in boxing.
For example, a mere week-and-a-half from one of the biggest athletic events in this generation, its use is in reference to the boxing acumen of ConorMcGregor, who will take on Floyd Mayweather Jr. on Aug. 26 in Las Vegas at T-Mobile Arena. Its use is to acknowledge he is almost totally lacking in it on any meaningful level, and the world will soon see what that’s worth when he steps between the ropes.
Yet if you’ve followed McGregor up to this point, you’re probably comfortable suggesting he has everything else he needs to get the job done.
The lead-up to the fight has been rife with entirely factual, highly relevant points from McGregor, even amid his more problematic statements. Ever the salesman, he’s quick to point out the ways he’s a unique threat to Mayweather. One particular rant at a group of bystanders outside of Madison Square Garden earlier this year, angrier than many he’s indulged in since this circus came to town, was instructive:
“I’m the boxing guy, watch me take over boxing!” he bellowed to an onlooker, as Fight Hub TV captured (warning: link contains NSFW language). “No one in this boxing game knows what’s coming. Trust me on that. When I step in there, I’m going to shock the whole goddamned world.”
He continued, eyes increasingly wild: “Look me in the eyes! Twenty-eight years of age! Confident as a motherf–ker, long, rangy, dangerous with every hand!
“Trust me, I’m gonna stop Floyd! You’re all gonna eat your words; the whole world is gonna eat their words!”
He makes some good points.
If one looks past the idea of McGregor‘s limited boxing acumen for a moment, there is reason to think the Irishman has some things going for him. If there weren’t, nearly $100 on pay-per-view and God only knows how much to get in the building on fight night wouldn’t be possible.
Even though McGregor just turned 29 in July, he is over a decade younger than Mayweather. He is long and rangy in a way that few Mayweather opponents have been. He is confident and dangerous with each hand.
And that’s only one short clip of McGregor‘s ranting his way through New York while visions of dollar signs flash in his head.
He doesn’t touch on other elements of his game, like his sheer density for a 154-pounder, the unpredictability he’ll have on his side or his vaunted, almost admirable ability to believe in himself no matter the odds.
While McGregor acknowledges his own length and range, look at his only UFC fight at 155 pounds (UFC 205 last November) and see how bulky he is at that weight. Look at the size of his arms and back compared to those of Eddie Alvarez, the then-lightweight champion with 170-pound fights under his belt. Look at how easily and freely he moves that enormous frame around and how he lands punches from range, both off counters and when getting off first.
Against Mayweather, who has fought as low as 130 pounds and only rarely at 154 pounds in his career, that is a legitimate advantage.
Consider also his unpredictability in combat. Some of it is on display in the Alvarez fight, even though MMA lends itself to unpredictability more so than boxing.
McGregor‘s head coach, John Kavanagh, told The 42 in June 2017 after the Mayweather bout was announced:
“I believe we have a number of advantages going into this fight. Often, people who are experts in a certain field will tell you that it can actually be more awkward to deal with somebody who’s not from the same field. They’d rather deal with the top contender from their own discipline because he’ll move in a way that you assume he’ll move.
“Mayweather has been in the boxing world for his entire career, and everyone he’s faced has moved in a certain way that he’s preconditioned to handle. Now he’s going up against a guy who doesn’t follow any set patterns, who can deploy a variety of different styles of fighting and is not one bit intimidated. Conor is—as we all are here—100 percent confident in victory. That kind of person is very difficult to deal with.”
This is an astute observation from Kavanagh—one that will be confirmed by many professional athletes across many different sports if you ask.
It is far more challenging for a fighter to spar with individuals from different backgrounds in combat sports, which is why it’s such a popular means of preparation in MMA camps.
Other sports support the idea as well. Often at lower levels or coming up through amateur ranks, there are less elite players and thus more unpredictable or outright bad play, so it becomes more of a challenge to those who are elite and are thinking and acting on a much higher plane.
Poker may have been the most interesting analogy around the time internet players and traditional players converged for the first time. “Amateur” internet players began employing unorthodox, unpredictable strategies that more seasoned pros couldn’t account for after years of playing on “feel” alone. The result was great success for those players coming from cyberspace, a more general adjustment in strategies overall and an evolution of the game.
In boxing Mayweather, McGregor has the practiced and refined unpredictability of his natural fighting style working in his favor, but he also has the unpracticed and unrefined unpredictability of being so new to professional boxing.
It’s not a guaranteed pathway to success, but it’s something that will take Mayweather some time to unpack. That might be all the time McGregor needs to land one of those dangerous hands and start some trouble.
And then, of course, there’s the self-belief. Nobody in the history of sports—maybe in history, period—has ever believed in themselves the way McGregor believes in himself. Time and again he tells people he intends to do the impossible, and while it’s often met with a collective cluck of the tongue from doubters, he goes out and does it.
His UFC run was a freight train fueled by the momentum of his proclamations. His concurrent UFC titles were the station the train halted at for a breather. This whole scene against Mayweather is the culmination of every positive, self-believing thought.
Nobody ever got rich doubting McGregor, and McGregor has gotten rich believing in himself. If that track record doesn’t count for something, you’re doubting him at your own peril.
With camps winding down and the final promotional push ready to take the world into one of the biggest boxing matches it has ever seen, what does boxing acumen matter?
McGregor has plenty working for him, and he’s gotten this far with acumen as an afterthought.
As UFC President Dana White has been fond of saying in promoting this bout, “At the end of the day, it’s a fight.”
He’s right about that. Anything can happen in a fight.
If McGregor levels a boxing icon? There’ll be no room to challenge his boxing acumen anymore, either.
Floyd Mayweather Sr. had some choice words for Justin Bieber after the singer said he thought Conor McGregor would be able to avoid being knocked out by Floyd Mayweather Jr. in their boxing match on Aug. 26.
Speaking to TMZ Sports, the elder Mayw…
Floyd Mayweather Sr. had some choice words for Justin Bieber after the singer said he thought Conor McGregor would be able to avoid being knocked out by Floyd Mayweather Jr. in their boxing match on Aug. 26.
Speaking to TMZ Sports, the elder Mayweather said Bieber “don’t even know boxing” and “he don’t know Floyd like I know him.”
Bieber toldTMZ Sportson Tuesday “I don’t think so” when asked if he believes Mayweather will be able to knock out McGregor, though he also added he expects it to be a good fight.
Mayweather and Bieber have been on good terms for some time, with Bieber being in Money’s corner multiple times, including for the 2015 fight against Manny Pacquiao.
Even though McGregor is making his professional boxing debut in this fight, a knockout win by Mayweather would be a surprise. The 40-year-old has won just 26 of his 49 career fights via knockout or TKO, with only one of those coming in nine fights since 2010.
This will be Mayweather’s first boxing match since Sept. 2015, when he defeated Andre Berto by unanimous decision.
