Conor McGregor became just another statistic as he joined the long, long list of people to have taken on Floyd Mayweather - and lost.
When it comes to proving talk can be cheap, there’s nowhere on the planet that does it quite like Vegas.
What was it McGregor had said? He’d vowed to knock Mayweather unconscious within two rounds. A word of advise mate - don’t make promises you can’t keep.
One of McGregor’s endless Tweets in the build up to the bout even saw him proclaim ‘I don’t learn, I invent’ - but in the end all he invented was a whole new level of crassness before, during and after this transparent freak show.
He ended up looking like a ball of wool being pawed by a cat, but that’s enough about the irksome Irishman. Instead, let’s focus on the man from the opposite corner who sent McGregor back to his cage.
We didn’t learn anything new about the masterful Mayweather. How could we, because this was the sporting equivalent of world squash champion Karim Gawad taking on Roger Federer at tennis on Wimbledon’s centre court.
Or middle-distance legend Mo Farah challenging Usain Bolt to a 100 metre sprint. Do me a favour.
Would you watch these events? Yes. But only an imbecile would do so thinking Farah or Gawad stood a chance of winning.
But what Mayweather did do was cement his status as the best boxer of his generation - and raise the genuine argument that he might just be the greatest of all time to pull on a pair of gloves.
If greatness is measured by results then Mayweather has no equal. This win, albeit against a non-boxer, took his record to 50 wins and no defeats over almost two decades, surpassing another legend in the shape of Rocky Marciano.
Mayweather has also won 26 world championship contests, titles in five weight classes and surpassed $1bn in career earnings.
Don Bradman is regarded as the best batsmen ever because he has the highest average, just like Jack Nicklaus is regarded as the best golfer ever because he’s won the most Majors.
But there is much more to Mayweather’s case than his incredible statistics, because the man from Michigan has become a pioneer and trailblazer of a sport that chews people up and spits them out.
He’s bucked the trend in a brutal sport that has led so many others to destruction - and for this reason deserves our ultimate admiration.
A decade ago Mayweather had the foresight to buy himself out of his contract with Top Rank and launched his ‘Money Mayweather’ persona.
This decision, coupled with his remarkable boxing gifts, took him on a journey from an upbringing of violence and drug abuse to untold riches and superstardom.
How many boxers have been exploited down the years? How many fighters have been defrauded and taken advantage of? The list is endless.
But not Mayweather. He is different to the rest. He employed a Harvard-educated manager in the shape of Al Haymon and set about the task of dedicating himself to the game.
Consistency has been his biggest strength. His methodical training regime and work ethic has never changed. Neither has his physique.
There has been no decline in his stature or standing and all of the above came together this weekend to provide him with a farewell to boxing that he both earned and deserved.
You might not like Mayweather. He’s loud, brash and arrogant with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer, but in beating McGregor he saved the reputation of his the profession he has mastered like no other.
He’s also the perfect example to all those wanting a career in boxing of how to do it. The blueprint for success.
But above all this, he’s restored respect to a sport that has floundered in the gutter at times - and for this reason he deserves our utmost admiration.
******************************************************************************
GEOFF BOYCOTT must be the biggest contradiction in sport.
When the Yorkshireman was at the crease he was one of the dullest batsmen on the planet, compiling runs at a slower pace than a slithering slug on beta-blockers.
Then he retired, picked up a microphone and became one of the most outspoken and entertaining broadcasters of all time, but not always for the right reasons.
His old sparring partner, the late Fred Trueman, summed him up best when he said: “If Boycott batted like he commentated then people would have walked into grounds to watch him, instead of walking out.”
Yet Boycott, 76, remains in the dark ages, stuck in an era we should have all left behind long ago.
Last week he spoke at an event in Birmingham and made a racist comment that forced him to do what he hates doing the most - apologise.
With age is supposed to come wisdom, but people like Boycott don’t have the wit to adapt to the modern world and it’s modern attitude.
He needs to hang up his microphone. Or as they say in his beloved Yorkshire ‘button his lip’.
*******************************************************************************
MANCHESTER UNITED'S Premier League rivals should be afraid - very afraid.
At every club he has managed, Jose Mourinho has won them the domestic title in his second season in charge.
Mourinho is in his second season at Old Trafford.
United have played three games, won them all, conceded no goals and hit the back of the net in the latter stages of those games just like the great teams of Sir Alex Ferguson used to do.
Manchester United look formidable. There is still a long, long way to go of course, but when the going gets tough after Christmas Mourinho will also have a certain Zlatan Ibrahimovic to call upon.
Bet against them at your peril.
********************************************************************************
FOR the life in me I can’t fathom out how a side can be better without Sergio Aguero in it.
The Argentine striker is one of the greatest players to grace the Premier League stage and has a remarkable scoring record.
But Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has a different view, it seems.
He’s the manager and you’d like to think he knows what he’s doing, but the situation is now like a volcano waiting to erupt.
Watch this space.
************************************************************************************
WHO are the favourites to win the US Open Tennis? With so many withdrawals this year the Mens Singles is already in danger of becoming a two horse race. But the two horses in question are absolute thoroughbreds with Roger Federer 188BET’s 17-10 favourite just ahead of Rafa Nadal at 3-1.
Can anyone upset The Big Two? With no Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic it doesn’t look likely however Alexander Zverev at 9-2 has actually attracted more bets than Nadal to win the tournament and is the form player with two tournament wins since Wimbledon. The 2014 champion Marin Cilic is also a popular at 16-1.
How will Maria Sharapova perform in her first Grand Slam since her drugs ban? Not too well if the betting is anything to go by. 188BET offer just 1-3 that Sharapova is heading home within the first two rounds. It’s 7-1 she goes as far as the quarter-finals but 10-1 she comes back with a bang and reaches the final and 16-1 she goes all the way.
Money Back if your player wins the first set but loses the match. Bets refunded as a free bet up to £25. Visit 188bet.co.uk for full details.
