The dust has finally settled on the most hyped sporting event of modern times, and the US media appear to be split over how the spectacle played out between MMA superstar Conor McGregor and boxing legend Floyd Mayweather.
'The Notorious' lost by TKO in the tenth round to Mayweather as he strecthed his undefeated record to 50-0.
McGregor must take solace that he managed to take arguably the greatest boxer of this generation into the tenth round having never before fought a professional boxing match.
Here is the US media's reaction to the how events unfolded in the early hours of Sunday morning.
The Daily News went for Mayweather-McGregor on their front page:
Our @NYDNSports back: Floyd Mayweather TKO's Conor McGregor in 10th round #MayweathervMcGregor -- https://t.co/Tb1INLyBeW pic.twitter.com/f655u4bey8
— Tom Biersdorfer (@TomBiersdorfer) August 27, 2017
Here's the scorecard for #MayweatherMcGregor. Mayweather was up 87-83, 89-82, 89-81 before the finish. https://t.co/Uazx7xa1oX pic.twitter.com/tvFDxGsWSk
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) August 27, 2017
MMA Junkie appeared to sit on the fence:
After a strong early effort, UFC lightweight champ Conor McGregor wilted under the pressure of Floyd Mayweather until the referee had seen enough and called off the bout at the 1:05 mark of the 10th round.
While not the blowout many expected of a spectacle between an 0-0 boxer and MMA champ and 49-0 boxing kingpin, Mayweather (50-0 boxing) took control after the fourth round, draining McGregor (21-3 MMA, 0-1 boxing) with body shots before going upstairs for the finish.
Floyd Mayweather Jr. after his win: “Our game plan was to take our time, go to him, let him shoot his shots early” https://t.co/ZLphYixLI2
— NYT Sports (@NYTSports) August 27, 2017
John Elgion of the New York Times believes that McGregor can certainly claim a moral victory for lasting much longer than many the experts believed.
Many purists saw the contest as a farce, nothing more than an exhibition. While Mayweather did all he could to hype up McGregor as a legitimate opponent, he also said that he had taken the fight for the money.
And many experts offered dire predictions - that McGregor would not land a punch, that he would be knocked out within a few rounds.
In that light, the fight can be considered somewhat surprising, and McGregor, a native of Dublin, can claim a moral victory. He won the first round on all three judges’ scorecards, and the second and third rounds on one card.
The boxing match between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Conor McGregor wasn’t supposed to be a fair fight https://t.co/HaNcLiY1xN
— The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) August 27, 2017
Jim Chairusmi of the Wall Street Journal gave credit for how McGregor initially started the contest but ultimately, Mayweather's boxing class and skill were too much for the novice,
LAS VEGAS—The boxing match between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Conor McGregor wasn’t supposed to be a fair fight.
But for the first half of Saturday’s bout, Mayweather appeared every bit like a 40-year-old who hadn’t been in the ring in two years. While the 29-year-old McGregor, a boxing novice, looked a fighter who actually belonged in the same ring as the undefeated Mayweather.
But as the fight wore on, Mayweather began to find his range and finally wore McGregor down, stunning him with a barrage of blows in the 10th round, before referee Robert Byrd stopped the bout with 1:55 remaining in the round.
No surprise, the Mayweather-McGregor fight lives up to mismatch prediction https://t.co/ARbx02Ircf
— L.A. Times Sports (@latimessports) August 27, 2017
Bill Plaschke was more scathing of the contest as he described it as a circus and a sham,
Conor McGregor flailed. Floyd Mayweather Jr. stared.
McGregor danced, Mayweather retreated. McGregor swatted, Mayweather covered.
For the first three rounds at the T-Mobile Arena here Saturday night, the celebrated mismatch between the boxing champion and the mixed martial artist didn’t look much like either sport.
Then Mayweather finally lost patience with the circus and turned it into a sham.
