Floyd fight has purists intrigued..
IT is easy to be sniffy about the Floyd Mayweather-Conor McGregor mismatch. I’ve been there myself.
It IS a mismatch because one of the world’s greatest-ever pound-forpound boxers is facing an opponent who has never had a professional bout.
But as the build-up continues apace, this is an event best taken for what it is.
It is peak Las Vegas, peak sporting showbiz, peak ragsto-riches stuff, with two men from the wrong side of the tracks earning untold riches from their set-to.
Boxing purists might be offended but their noble sport remains one riddled with dubious politics, with enough world champions to stretch the length of Las Vegas Boulevard.
This contest is uncomplicated. Two very tough men (pictured above), two very good marketeers, staging a unique fight and spectacle.
And don’t tell me even those purists will not be intrigued come tomorrow night.
MAURICIO SULAIMAN is president of the World Boxing Council and his Twitter profile says “humble, successful people” are his “heroes”.
Sulaiman’s organisation will give something they call The Money Belt to the winner of tomorrow’s fight.
The Money Belt has 3,360 diamonds, 600 sapphires and 150 emeralds embedded in a 24-carat gold buckle (below).
The strap, as Sulaiman told us in the Las Vegas egas theatre that stages Cirque du Soleil, is thehe “finest crocodile leather from Italy”.
We know what he means. The belt cost a million dollars – that will keep Mayweather or r McGregor humble. WHO Gareth Southgate plays in goal against Malta next Friday is one of sport’s more academic decisions.
But pretty soon the England manager needs to decide who will be his No.1 for next summer. If it is not Joe Hart, the new man needs to have a long run of games to establish a rapport with his team-mates.
He could probably take a newspaper to work, but the match in Ta’ Qali National Stadium is a good place to start for Jack Butland. I HAVE never been convinced about the old adage all publicity is good publicity, some of us remember Gerald Ratner. But the indignation over the EFL Cup draw means a lot more people than before know what on earth Carabao make. Maybe the running farce of a draw has been a ploy all along.