White: Mayweather-McGregor press tour will be an ‘absolute shitshow’
White says that he will be accompanying McGregor on every stop on the press tour, and says he’s not entirely sure how the whole scene is going to play out, especially with so many unpredictable characters involved. He also says that
It’s going to be a f-cking shitshow. You know that. Absolute shitshow. So, I don’t know. It’s going to be crazy…It’s going to be a hybrid of the boxing press conferences and UFC press conferences…. I think it’s going to be more like a boxing press conference than it is our press conferences. You know how mine are. No bullshit. We walk in, and we sit down and, ‘What’s up? Who has the first question,’ and we get it rolling. I think there’s going to be a lot more bullshit in this one…I’m going to sit there with a mic, and when you ask me a question I will answer it. I’m not going to get up and give any speeches or do anything like that. I think Conor and I will come in, Conor and I will sit down, and we’ll answer questions when asked questions. I think that the rest of the people that are going to come in – I think there’s going to be a lot of people that come in and talk and have speeches.
Mayweather asks for installment plan over 2015 unpaid taxes
Mayweather petitions the U.S. Tax Court for an installment agreement to pay taxes from 2015, citing his fight with Conor McGregor as a “significant liquidity event” from which he intends to pay the remaining balance. Mayweather argues he’s too illiquid to immediately pay the taxes while the IRS has said that some of his assets could be converted into cash or that Mayweather could take out a loan to pay what he owes. Mayweather reportedly earned $220-230 million for defeating Manny Pacquiao in 2015. After he fights McGregor, Mayweather will have to pay taxes on a possible $400 million in earnings as well as cover his past IRS debts.
Mayweather taxes: ‘My empire is rock solid’
Mayweather responds on Facebook to allegations that he is being pressured by the IRS over unpaid taxes from 2015.
Mayweather Sr.: McGregor is ‘Gonna get whooped’
Mayweather Senior, who is training his son for his upcoming fight with McGregor, says McGregor will not win.
If Floyd stops him or not—it doesn’t make a difference for me. As long as Floyd beats the hell out of him. And that’s what I believe is gonna happen…Even if [Conor] goes the distance, [Floyd’s] gonna whoop his ass!
McGregor-Mayweather World Tour dates announced
Tour dates and venues are announced for McGregor-Mayweather’s world promotion tour. The tour will appear in Los Angeles’ Staples Center on July 10; Houston’s Toyota Center on July 11; Toronto’s Air Canada Center on July 12; New York’s Barclays Center on July 13; and London, at a venue to be announced, on July 14.
Wallace: Don’t write McGregor off against Mayweather
Wallace, a six-time All Ireland boxing champion who sparred with McGregor in Las Vegas for six weeks in preparation for the Nate Diaz rematch, says McGregor;s chances should not be written off:
Like a lot of people are writing him off but he has proved a lot of people wrong so far. Look he’s fighting Mayweather, one of the greatest boxers of all time, but he has youth on his side, you never know what he’s going to do. He’s elusive, he’s very accurate when he punches, he doesn’t miss a lot. At the end of the day you never know what is going to happen in one of the biggest nights in boxing history. I know everybody thinks Mayweather is going to win but you just can’t write him off…He’s strong but it’s mostly the fact that he is so accurate, it’s more the crisp in the punch rather than the power. Like if [Mayweather] was caught flush with a left hand he would probably go down…In my heart I’d love to see him do it and for the whole of Ireland I’d love to see him doing it but it is a massive ask.
Ward: McGregor needs to be ‘awkward’ to gain advantage over Mayweather
Ward urges McGregor to use MMA-style moves to gain an advantage over Mayweather.
I don’t think this is going to be as easy as people think…for Floyd Mayweather. I am a Floyd fan, Floyd’s a legend and he is going to take care of business, don’t get me wrong. But Floyd is 40 years old and McGregor is a lot younger, he is naturally bigger and, if he has nothing else, he has a big left hand – he has one hand that if he lands it can cause some trouble. Now I don’t think that he is going to land that shot but just the movements that Conor has, the awkward, martial arts type of movements, it’s going to take a few rounds for Floyd to kinda figure him out. Ultimately, I think he will, but I think it will be interesting early…[McGregor] is not going to end it early. I wouldn’t focus on the knockout because if he goes out there looking for the knockout, he could get knocked out. I wouldn’t totally abandon the martial arts moves, like I said, some of the awkward things he does. Obviously he can’t lift his legs, and that’s going to be a challenge in and of itself, to not kick Floyd or grapple Floyd like he would in an octagon, but be who you are. We are going to work on boxing, but be awkward, be as awkward as you can, make it ugly because if it’s a close fight where there is an argument and it’s the sixth or seventh round, it’s close, [people are asking] who’s winning, that’s a win for [McGregor].”
Khan: Mayweather will ‘walk through’ McGregor
In a preview of an upcoming interview with King. Khan says Mayweather will easily beat McGregor.
McGregor’s never had a boxing fight as a professional. That’s his first fight. He’s up against someone who is unbeaten in 49 fights…Being a boxing fight, it’s gonna be all Floyd. He’s gonna walk through him. He’s gonna make him miss…it’s gonna be a walk in the park for him.
Bradley: McGregor ‘lifted me off my feet with his right hand’
Bradley says he was brought into McGregor’s camp after being recommended by Conor Wallace, the Northern Irish amateur boxer who was called upon to help McGregor prepare for his rematch with Nate Diaz. Wallace’s recommended Bradley’s because he is replicate the Mayweather style. Bradley:
People laugh when they hear me saying I can replicate Mayweather. I guess nobody can move like Floyd, but I’ve been studying everything about the guy for the last 13 years. I know what way he moves and I know how he moves into his punches. I know how he reacts to getting hit. I feel like I’m able to bring that in to help Conor as he prepares for this fight. When I’m competing, I don’t necessarily use Mayweather’s style, but I definitely use some of his tools. The step-back right hand and check left hook are two techniques I use a lot. And of course, I use some of his defensive tactics to stop me getting hit.
On McGregor’s boxing ability:
Conor is a very good boxer. He doesn’t move like any other boxer. He’s powerful, fast and light on his feet … He’s very good at getting in and out and connecting. He’s so quick on his feet it’s very hard to judge the distance with him. He’s so fast and unpredictable — that’s a very dangerous combination. I don’t think Mayweather has ever boxed anyone like that. He has this strange style and he can keep going at a serious pace for 12 rounds. He’s on his toes and he’s constantly keeping you guessing…I’ve got a black eye at the moment and I got that from him when he was wearing 16-ounce gloves. I don’t know if you’ve seen the photo that he uploaded onto his Instagram after our session. People are talking about his left hand and whether the power will be there with 10-ounce gloves — he lifted me off my feet with a right uppercut in 16 (ounce gloves)! That shot came out of nowhere. It was so fast and powerful. I can tell you now that those kinds of shots would drop boxers, and that was his right hand…I know he’ll give Floyd a hard fight. This will not be a walkover. I really think whoever puts more into their camp will win it. I know that Conor is putting in the work and that his confidence is through the roof. He’s going to be ready when fight night comes around.
Malignaggi: Mayweather will fight McGregor ‘very aggressively’
Malignaggi says that he will will be part of the US leg of his training.
I was a little bit surprised, but at the same time it’s something exciting. You don’t have to make the wait. It’s cool…I look forward to having a healthy training camp with Conor. I was contacted for sparring…probably a little bit of my boxing knowledge, tactical knowledge… I have a speed boxing style. I was more of a speedster. While it’s almost impossible to mimic [Mayweather’s] style, you spar with guys who have fast hands and get used to the speed. They were looking for guys with speed and that counterpunching fast style.
He also talks about Mayweather;s strategy.
The trick to Mayweather is…Mayweather will adjust to you..If you come in with some sort of success in the early rounds. You have to be prepared to be able to be like Bruce Lee, to be ‘like water’ and to adjust. Because Mayweather will adjust and give you that right back…I don’t think Conor will have enough time to have a distinct game plan. He will have to figure out these three or four key weapons in his arsenal to use them, disguise them in various ways, to use them against Mayweather…Conor is best at range, so if he tries to become a rugged physical fighter, how much is it going to work? But does McGregor even know enough to hide the dirty stuff? Conor has good speed and good timing, he has to work on variations…If I had to predict to you…I think Floyd will fight this fight very aggressively. There’s a mean streak in Floyd. He may start taking it to him and getting aggresive.
‘Wolves’ promo video
Axiom Films releases a promo video for McGregor-Mayweather.
One warrior put it to me like this: Most of the world is like sheep. they’re kind, gentle creatures that can only hurt each other by accident. Then there are wolves, the wolves will feed on the sheep. They are the sociopaths, they are the criminals. [The Warrior] wanders around, checks the perimeter every night. We’re talking about a creature that is capable of confronting and dealing with combat and sustaining themselves across the long haul. To be the one that is ready to respond to the threats when the time arrives.
Fans and experts compare McGregor-Mayweather training videos
After McGregor and Mayweather release training videos, fans debate the relative merits of each fighter. Mirror Online boxing expert Martin Domin says that fans should not read too much into the comparison.
Ignoring the fact for a moment that there will be no punch bags in the ring come August 26 (unless Conor McGregor really does take a beating), there is an enormous difference between the two workouts. Floyd Mayweather is hitting a floor-to-ceiling speed ball which is designed to improve a fighter’s hand-eye co-ordination. Surprisingly enough, it also looks good when filmed and posted on Instagram. McGregor on the other hand is using first an uppercut bag followed by a standard punch bag, and it’s fairly evident he is working on shot execution and placement rather than trying to dazzle anyone with his speed. If you truly believe McGregor couldn’t look good on a speedball, you’re in the wrong game.
Mayweather and McGregor training videos from today side by side. 😂 pic.twitter.com/cAJDPy9Dwn
— Robert Littal BSO (@BSO) June 29, 2017
Frampton: Fight is good for boxing – unless McGregor wins
Frampton talks about the McGregor-Mayweather fight:
I don’t think that the fight is bad for boxing. I think that if McGregor wins, then that’s bad for boxing. I don’t think he will. It’s an event – go and see it – it gets people talking about boxing. How can it be bad for boxing? You look at what’s happening now – It’s almost like any show that’s half decent has to be on pay-per-view, and you have to pay extra money to watch it… But I think this event – Mayweather and McGregor – it can’t be anything but good for boxing, unless Mcgregor wins, and then it’s bad because we all look like mugs.
McGregor-Mayweather media tour to stop in London but not Dublin
White says the McGregor-Mayweather world media tour will only make one overseas stop, in London, and that a stop in Dublin will not be on the tour. According to reports, Mayweather wanted neutral locations for the world press tour and did not want to deal with the overwhelming crowd of supporters McGregor would get in his native Ireland.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BV6WO44AHnI/
Espinoza: McGregor can win with Superman punch
Espinoza, the executive vice president of Showtime Sports, talks about the possibility of seeing a Superman punch by McGregor, an MMA technique that is legal in boxing against Mayweather.
That’s well within the rules. A back fist probably wouldn’t be, but there is a lot of different things that can be thrown to throw off timing. I can guarantee Floyd has never seen someone coming and throwing a Superman punch.
Mayweather posts speed bag video
Mayweather posts a video of himself showcasing his speed on the double end bag, with a message for those doubting him due to his age.
I know I’m not the same fighter I was 20 years ago, I’m not the same fighter I was 10 years ago… As a matter of fact, I’m not the same fighter I was 5 years ago, I’m just an old legend putting in work in 16 oz gloves.
Woodley: Mayweather said ‘Conor’s gonna be pissed when he finds out how much money I’m making’
Woodley talks about spending time with Mayweather at the Maxim 100 party, where Mayweather praised him as ‘the best fighter in the UFC’.
We were just talking about the fight with him and Conor. We did a video. And I said, ‘Conor’s gonna loooove me after this video!’…He sees what I’m doing. He said to me, ‘I’ve been watching your highlights, you got crazy hands, you knocking people out, I can show you one or two thing; how you can never get hit again in the Octagon’…Floyd is really down to earth. The thing I notice about him is that he is in a setting like that, he’s trying to make sure every person is ok…I haven’t really hung out about Conor McGregor…Tell me? My ‘UFC brother’ has he hung around with me…I’m not saying I’m going against boxing versus UFC. I respect Conor, he’s the boss. He made a crazy move. He’s gonna get paid. I respect him, but that don’t mean he’s gonna be coming to my kid’s birthday party.
When asked if Mayweather said who would win the fight:
He said. ‘Conor’s gonna be pissed when he finds out how much money I’m making.’
Conlan still hoping for place on McGregor-Mayweather undercard
While preparing for his third professional boxing bout this weekend in Australia on the undercard of the Manny Pacquiao vs. Jeff Horn bout, Conlan says he is still hoping to get on the McGregor-Mayweather undercard.
[Floyd]’s never going to win a talking shit match with Conor McGregor. Conor McGregor is on a different level when it comes to that — and that affects people. It’s hard to see how it goes because Floyd is almost unbeatable, well he has been unbeatable. Conor is Conor, so he’s going to come out and give it his all. I’m excited, I wished him good luck. I asked him to try and get me on the show but I haven’t heard back, so I don’t think it’s going to happen.
Kavanagh to object if Bayless gets to referee McGregor-Mayweather
In a Q&A on boards.ie, Kavanagh fields several fan questions about the McGregor-Mayweather fight, and says he will object if Nevada State Athletic Commission appoint Bayless to referee the bout.
Yes, I’ll be objecting to that.
Bayless, who is one of the most high profile boxing referees in Nevada, has officiated several Mayweather bouts in the past and has said that he would not want to see such a fight:
I wouldn’t want to see it. It’s two different sports.
Kavanagh has previously proposed that Marc Goddard would be the ideal man for the job.
I think Marc Goddard should be the referee. We’re already agreeing to boxing rules, boxing fight, boxing ring — everything is done boxing. So, how about an MMA referee that will understand the inside fighting that will go into this fight?
Pacquiao: McGregor-Mayweather will be ‘boring’
Pacquiao, who is currently preparing for his WBO welterweight championship fight against Jeff Horn, says the McGregor-Mayweather fight will be ‘boring,’ and that he will be watching the ‘real’ boxing match between Canelo Alvarez and Gennady Golovkin.
McGregor has no chance in this fight. In fact, it could be very boring. There is no way he will be able to land a meaningful punch on Floyd. How could he? He has no professional experience in boxing. The real fight and the best fight is Golovkin versus Canelo. The best versus the best. That’s the fight I will be watching.
He also says he is interested in a rematch with Mayweather if he beats Horn.
If there’s a chance, why not? I’m willing. I know my body. I’m ready. I’m not underestimating [Horn]. I’m not taking him lightly. I’m working hard.