Mcgregor tells Mayweather to ‘keep praying to the new god of boxing’
● Five-time world champion expects Irishman to use roughhouse tactics
The carnival finally hit town when Conor Mcgregor and Floyd Mayweather Jr arrived in Las Vegas and put on a bit of a fashion show before promising to knock each other out in their highly anticipated boxing match.
Mayweather wore a fedora and gold rimmed glasses while Mcgregor sported a threepiece suit and tie and aviator sunglasses as they made separate appearances before a crowd of several hundred people in front of the arena where they will fight on Saturday night.
The pair got into an unplanned verbal confrontation as they moved between the outdoor stage and the arena, though it was brief. Bodyguards kept them apart and both fighters are smart enough not to do anything to jeopardise their immense paydays from what could be the richest fight ever.
“It’s work,” Mayweather said when asked if he was having fun. “My job is to be a fighter.”
Mcgregor, meanwhile, reiterated his vow to knock Mayweather out within two rounds, and claimed the boxer was getting desperate in making comments about his weight and stamina.
“Let him keep praying about weight and fatigue. All he’s doing is praying,” Mcgregor said. “But he’s praying to the new god of boxing.”
The crowd for one of the final promotional events was small and not terribly vocal, especially after waiting an hour or two in 100-degree heat to see the fighters. There was nobody waiting at T-mobile Arena’s three ticket windows, where plenty of expensive tickets remain for the bout.
The big money for the two fighters will come from payper-view sales, and early indications are that it could break all records. Some 50 million people may watch in the United States alone, with millions more tuning in worldwide.
Estimates vary wildly, but Mayweather could pocket $200 million, while Mcgregor might make $100 million.
The promotion has been more circus-like than anything, but both boxers said they were serious about putting on an explosive show.
“This fight is not going to go the distance,” Mayweather said.
“I believe I’ll knock him out early, one or two rounds,” Mcgregor said.
Both fighters seemed relaxed 0 Floyd Mayweathercould earn $200m from the fight while Conor Mcgregor, inset, may pocket $100m. and confident, just days away from a fight that seemed improbable at times and impossible at other times. Yet they will meet under boxing rules in a scheduled 12-round fight that matches a UFC champion who has never boxed professionally against the master defensive fighter of his time.
Mcgregor said it was just another progression in his fighting career, and chided Mayweather for saying he hopes the referee does his job and doesn’t allow Mcgregor to try any mixed martial arts moves against him. “I may make him beg me to follow the rules,” Mcgregor said.
Mayweather said he expected Mcgregor to come out wildly and use roughhouse tactics, something Marcos Maidana did effectively when he fought Mayweather in 2014. But he said the Irish fighter can’t keep that up for 12 rounds and doesn’t understand what it is to get hit by a real boxing champion.
“When he gets hit he’ll find out it’s totally different,” Mayweather said. While looking as fit as ever and insisting he is taking the fight seriously, Mayweather said he will be doing meet-and-greet experiences every night until the fight at his new strip club just off the Las Vegas Strip.
“I’ll be at the Girl Collection every day this week,” he said. “Every day.” Olympic skip Kyle Smith has praised the brandnew National Curling Academy, which was officially opened yesterday at Stirling Sports Village.
The £3.15 million project was financed jointly by sportscotland and Stirling Council and, although the facility will not be available to the public until 4 September, Smith and former world champion Eve Muirhead have spent the past month testing the ice.
“We’ve trained four weeks in a row at the new rink, and the ice conditions there are more reliable,” said Smith “The building is for performance athletes only in August, so it’s perfect for us.
“It’s definitely sunk in that we’re going to the Olympics. We’re enjoying training, but we’re really looking forward to competing again.”
Smith will return to the scene of one of last season’s triumphs when he opens his 2017-18 campaign at the Oakville Tankard in Ontario next week.
The ex-world junior champion won the Oakville Classic at the same venue last year to begin an outstanding run of results which led to his Olympic selection in June.
“We’re not playing that one this time because it clashes with a Grand Slam event (in Regina, Saskatchewan), so we’re prioritising that,” he explained.
Smith and his teammates Thomas Muirhead, Kyle Waddell and Cammy Smith have received a firstround bye at the Oakville Tankard, while three other Scottish teams, led by Tom Brewster,brucemouatand Greg Drummond, will also be in Ontario.
Muirhead and her squad begin their season the following week at the Grand Slam tournament in Regina.