LAS VEGAS - There are unlikely to be any repeats of the Money Fight Of The Century, even though other combatants are eager to jump on the gravy train having seen Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor bank the mother lode.
The first $80million live gate, and a pay-per-view record of $600m, for which clamouring viewers crashed a couple of the Showtime network systems. No wonder others would like to cross over for a night.
But there is only one Money and only one Notorious. Only the finest boxer of his generation and the Irish poster boy for mixed martial arts could have made this happen.
"This is a one-off made possible by these two fighters," Dana White, McGregor’s boss at the UFC, and Leonard Ellerbe, of Mayweather Promotions, both said after their celebrity shin-dig at the T-Mobile Arena.
50 - 0
— Floyd Mayweather (@FloydMayweather) August 27, 2017
Ellerbe added: "Floyd is retired now and there’s no one else like him. Even when we find one we’re not looking to do this promotion again." White went on: "I want Conor back in the UFC using all his skills, not restricted just to his fists. And I’m not looking for any more of our men to do fights like this."
So that’s it, then. They cashed in, big time. And in Las Vegas casino parlance they’ve cashed out.
McGregor said: "I don’t know exactly what I’ll be doing next but in Ireland we love a man who will stand his ground in a fight. Boxing is different. I can’t quite explain how but it’s different."
McGregor can fight on, in his own way. Mayweather, with nigh on $1billion in the bank, can pay his taxes and enjoy being mine host at his new strip club, Girl Collection. Good luck to them both.
Nathan Cleverly announced his retirement after losing his WBA light-heavyweight title on the Vegas undercard to Badou Jack. The Welshman was stopped in five rounds when out-classed by Jack. Cleverly, 30, said via social media, ‘It’s time to say goodbye. Thank you and goodbye boxing.’