It could be argued that Mayweather and McGregor are each facing the best possible opponent. After all, both athletes are almost unrivaled when it comes to generating hype, drama and controversy. And this close to the boxing event, one should expect the hype surrounding the Mayweather VS McGregor betting props for the superfight to grow.
The latest in Mayweather/McGregor drama is the issue of boxing gloves. Naturally, everyone thought the athletes would fight each other with 10oz gloves as mandated by the Nevada State Athletic Commission Rules.
In fact, that wasn’t even a conversation, at least not until Mayweather came out on Social Media on Tuesday and told McGregor that he was ready to fight in 8oz gloves. If you do not know Victor Ortiz, he is the last opponent Mayweather knocked out. That was back in 2011, and that is what you expect from someone like Mayweather with brittle fists.
In other words, 8oz gloves which are much lighter wouldn’t benefit Mayweather. And if you are looking to dismiss this as a silly rumor, know that it came from Mayweather’s own Instagram account. And he took things further when he gave McGregor the leeway to use whatever brand of gloves he wants.
Mayweather’s language and his insistence on using 8oz Grant gloves suggested that he was trying to accommodate McGregor by making him as comfortable in the ring as possible. If you are not well versed in matters of boxing, you might be wondering why any of this matters.
Well, all boxing fanatics know just how neurotic Mayweather can be with regards to the minutiae of boxing. This is the same man that took offense with Manny Pacquiao’s use of Reyes-manufactured boxing gloves. Even as the weigh in approached, Mayweather’s people raised a raucous over the issue.
So for Mayweather to suddenly give McGregor the leeway to use whatever brand of boxing gloves he wants is a little suspicious.
Conor McGregor hasn’t been shy about expressing his irritation over his opponent’s many stipulations, especially when it comes to gloves. But he also said he wasn’t bothered by the discussions. The changes, if there are to be any, did not faze him. If anything, he seemed somewhat amused by the hullabaloo being raised over the issue.
Gloves are not really a big deal in MMA, so their presence or absence is unlikely to impact McGregor’s performance on the 26th of August, or so he seems to believe. For all intent and purpose, McGregor will be ready to go so long as he has his gum shield in place.
Mayweather is definitely walking into dangerous waters by giving McGregor his choice of gloves. At one point, Mayweather suggested that he would be fine fighting with 4oz, which is problematic because McGregor has garnered a reputation for being a knockout artist.
Lighter gloves would make him a far more dangerous opponent for Mayweather.
Of course, at the end of the day, the Nevada State Athletic Commission will have the final say. The commission seems unlikely to sanction the use of 8oz gloves primarily because of the health and safety issues that arise. However, their rules do provide some leeway for Mayweather to get what he wants.
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