Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Conor McGregor are meeting Saturday in what will be the most-hyped fight in decades, but there are rumors that Mayweather’s camp could already be thinking about the next bout.
McGregor comes into the fight as a huge underdog, with no professional boxing matches in his career and only his reputation as the toughest fighter in the UFC to face off against one of the greatest boxers of all time. Mayweather is regarded as a superb tactician whose discipline and conditioning have brought him to a perfect 49-0 record.
There are rumors that some in Mayweather’s camp could be rooting for the upset, however. The New York Post reported on Thursday that some close to Mayweather are hoping that he will lose on Saturday , setting the stage for a rematch that could potentially be even bigger and more lucrative.
As the report noted, Mayweather is set to make $200 million from Saturday’s fight, and a rematch could net him another $200 million.
“Some people around him are hoping Floyd puts on a good fight, but that he goes down,” a marketing pro told the newspaper. “If McGregor loses, no one wants to see Floyd kick his ass again. If Floyd wins, there may not be a second fight to get another $200 million. If he loses, he’s guaranteed another fight, another payday.”
That is an idea apparently shared across the world of sports. This week, golfer Rory McIlroy wondered if Mayweather and his fellow Irishman Conor McGregor were already plotting a second fight.
“I’m interested just to see how it all plays out, but I just fear that they do all this trash-talking and they go behind the scenes and they are having a laugh and thinking: I can’t believe we are talking all this public for a ride,” McIlroy said (via the Independent ).
“We are all buying into it and they are like, can you believe these people believe this. I just hope it doesn’t turn into it and I hope it’s not in any way fixed.”
Rory McIlroy admits he has fears ahead of Conor #McGregor vs Floyd #Mayweather https://t.co/lQezl2ONmV pic.twitter.com/qbn71NzMuQ
— Sun Sport (@SunSport) August 24, 2017
The rumors don’t indicate that Floyd Mayweather Jr. is considering throwing the fight, and others close to the boxer told the New York Post that the allegations his camp is rooting for a loss are preposterous. But a rematch would undeniably be very lucrative, netting Mayweather close to half a billion dollars between both bouts.
Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor have already hinted at a rematch — in the octagon https://t.co/44Kw6ZRi8V pic.twitter.com/rq1xgE5eFg
— Insider Business (@BusinessInsider) August 24, 2017
Oddsmakers also seem to be intrigued by the rumors that the two are already plotting a rematch, the Irish Mirror noted. Boomaker Betway is listing odds on Conor McGregor’s next opponent, and a rematch with Floyd Mayweather Jr. is the favorite at 5-to-2 odds.
[Featured Image by Ethan Miller/Getty Images]
