The online sports betting world is having a hard time talking about anything other than the mega-fight between Floyd Money Mayweather and the Notorious Conor McGregor. The world tour began this week and to say that it has taken the roof off the media would be an understatement.
The world tour kicked off Tuesday in Los Angeles, where Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather first faced off. Despite Los Angeles’ proximity to Las Vegas – the home of Floyd Mayweather, the crowd was surprisingly in McGregor’s favor, easily 60/40 if not 70/30.
The press conference, which was organized by ShowTime, followed the format of a boxing press conference, which, to the dismay of online betting sites, is vastly different than the UFC’s format.
The biggest contrast is the speeches that are given before the fighters head to the microphone. While no one is interested in what executives have to say, they nevertheless went to the podium to mulch over things that everyone already knew. But after the executives got their spiel out of the way, Notorious took over.
While McGregor was not prepared to give a speech, he was no stranger to speaking in public. McGregor didn’t take long to start attacking his opponent, calling him out on everything from his choice of attire, the cars he took to the press event, and even Mayweather’s newly announced problems with the tax man.
But it wasn’t just the McGregor show. Once Mayweather took the mic, the undefeated boxer made sure to let everyone know just who he is. Mayweather’s 49-0 record, and lucrative lifestyle, demands some respect and he didn’t hesitate to let both McGregor and the fans know just that.
There was an undertone of racial backlash after the event for some comments Notorious made. While Mayweather was taking to the podium, Money decided to show off some shadow boxing. McGregor quipped “Dance for me boy, Dance for me,” and many have taken criticism to this sportsbook comment. Notorious is from Ireland, where the slave trade wasn’t as bountiful. However, given the American backdrop, it was near impossible not to take these comments in the most negative connotation.
After the presser was done, many felt that Mayweather had come out on top. Mostly for displaying his $100 million check, and criticism McGregor for being such a low-paid fighter (compared to Mayweather). Additionally, McGregor’s personal mic was cut during the presser, which allowed Mayweather to talk trash uncontested. McGregor would get his revenge the following day but before we take a look at the Toronto presser, let’s take a look at what sportsbooks are predicting for this bout.
Mayweather-McGregor Bout – Saturday, August 26th
When: TBA
Where: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada
TV: Showtime (PPV)
Stream: Sho.com
Online Sports Betting Odds:
Conor McGregor 9 ½ (+145) +520
Floyd Mayweather Jr. 9 ½ (-165) -740
Unsurprisingly, the undefeated boxer is the sportsbook underdog. However, what happened in Toronto certainly painted McGregor in a positive light.
To say that the Toronto presser was an absolute spectacle would be a vast understatement. Unlike Los Angeles, the crowd was near 100% in McGregor’s favor, most notable by how heavily the crowd booed Stephen Espinoza, ShowTime’s own.
Once McGregor took the mic, he proceeded to get the crowd to chant expletives at the Mayweathers. Notorious then proceeded to rip ShowTime a new ear for cutting his mic the day before.
McGregor went straight up to Espinoza and called him a weasel in front of the entire world. Mayweather had some rebuttals once he took the mic but they paled in comparison to the haymakers McGregor was throwing.
There was an interesting moment when Mayweather received an Irish flag from a fan and proceeded to drape himself in it. McGregor coolly responded by snagging Mayweather’s bag from the stage, promising that Mayweather would never get it back if he disrespected the flag. Money didn’t, but it was quite a tense sportsbook moment.
However you may feel about the world tour, this is one event the whole world will tune in for.
