Re: Floyd-McGregor: Winners and Losers
I think Boxing stands to lose big... When one considers this Idiot set the fight the smallest challenge for the most amount of money trend in motion... and the you don't have to knock someone out or hurt them in order to "dominate" or "Perform" in the "Hurt Game".... and the "I'm risking my life... what's in it for me?" mentalities.
Who's going to be the next one to try this? pac? Wilder? How about more mixed cards where an MMA fighter brutally knocks someone out with a head kick (or worse a punch) and then the boxing match that follows, goes 12 rounds while you have someone pitty patting running around the perimeter? -- Now this could go the other way-- with a brutal boxing KO following 5 rounds of 2 BJJ fighters working out of the gaurd, but MMA doesnt stand to lose any fans to boxing as much as boxing stands to lose to mma. You can still see a boxing KO in an MMA fight. Boxing has been in a slow controlled bleed since its heyday.. Which is pretty good considering the juggernaut the MMA became fan base wise. Both have been able to do their own thing and keep their respective fans and followings and enjoy some bleed over maybe as long as they stayed in their lanes. The comparisons were limited. Bring them together.... and i think that could all go out the window.
Lets look at at the fallout from the likely scenario:
Floyd moves, slips punches, and puts a pasting on Connor. Connor landed some punches but didn't do a lot of damage, and gets serious outgamed without his legs (He uses side kicks like power jabs). Floyd Wins (by ko or decision) .. Yaye Floyd wins... then takes his money and f*cks back off into retirement again. He's not going to fight thurman, porter or any of the other guys climbing the mountain.) The boxing upside ends there. Connor loses and goes back to the UFC... with floyds endorsement (He's a helluva fighter... a helluva fighter) and lets say he goes back and beats a few more guys... Some boxing fans follow him.. Connor, White and the others in MMA ... "Yeah i coodent feel nawtin in dem 12 ounce Glooves... yadda yadda yadda" ... So c'mon over and see Connor fight in his natural habitat.. what you witnessed was not the real Connor. Not saying people will flock in droves over to the next mma ppv.. But considering that Boxing PPVs are suffering and Top rank is resorted to the TV deal with ESPN (ala PBC), for pacs match with horn/ terrence crawford and Loma too.. That's already a red flag and any converts from here out will hurt more.
(There is the scenarios that Connor gets a big fat check and says.. "well ive done it all, theres nawtin left to dooo." and retires too.. but I doubt White lets that happen)
They want your @$$ beat because upsets make news. News brings about excitement, excitement brings about ratings. The objective is to bring you up to the tower and tear your @$$ down. And if you don't believe that, you're crazy.
Roy Jones, Jr. "What I've Learned," Esquire 2003
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