The debate surrounding Conor McGregor’s fight against Floyd Mayweather, scheduled for August 26 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, will continue to rage on up until fight night.How serious can we take boxing when one of the greatest pound-for-pound boxers in history, who carries a 49-0 record, is going up against a UFC star who has never boxed professionally?Former heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis called the fight “ridiculous”, and plenty more agree."I can't take it serious," Lewis told ESPN. "Mayweather is the best in his weight class; no one can touch him in boxing. He's a pugilist of the highest order, so for another man from a different sport to fight him?"It's ridiculous to me. You are talking about one discipline where you can use only your hands and only a few can do it. Every battle sport always starts with your hands, but they are two totally different sports."Floyd will stop him. He's just too good at boxing for McGregor, and McGregor is just too inexperienced. I wouldn't buy it, but I would be interested in the result. To me, I know who is going to win already, so there's no use in watching it."Of course, money talks. Both fighters are expected to earn around £100 million for the 12-round bout and it’s thought that pay-per-view costs will reach $100.And, despite the fury, it’s a certainty that Mayweather vs McGregor will bring in a huge audience.
Golovkin: 'It's a circus show'
Undefeated middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin has weighed in on the fight and, like Lewis, isn’t a huge fan.
Golovkin, who will take on Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez at the same Las Vegas venue three weeks after Mayweather and McGregor meet, has labelled the fight as a “circus show”.
“This is not for fighters, but business,” Golovkin, who holds a 37-0 record, told reporters, per the Daily Mail.
“I think people understand what is a true fight, a boxing fight, like mine with Canelo, or a big show, maybe sometimes for people a funny show, like a circus show.
“Everybody knows. Conor is not a boxer, just a show. If you want to watch a show please watch them, if you want to watch a true fight, a true boxing fight and you respect boxing, watch my fight with Canelo.”
Watch: Golovkin on Mayweather vs McGregor
Golovkin doesn’t have to worry about anyone not tuning into his fight against the 49-1-1 Alvarez.
But don’t be surprised when the viewing figures reveal which fight drew the bigger audience.