Iole On Floyd-Conor: "Sometimes You Go To The Movies To Watch Porky's"
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) - Veteran boxing and MMA journalist Kevin Iole of Yahoo Sports joined Fight Night with Alex Donno and Frank Zaffere on Thursday to break down the mega fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Conor McGregor.
Iole was the first to break the news late Wednesday afternoon- that the clash between the 49-0 boxing superstar and the UFC lightweight champion- had been made official.
The fight will be contested under boxing rules and is set to take place August 26th in Las Vegas.
Many were caught off guard by how quickly this fight came together. While social media jabs between Mayweather and McGregor began nearly a year ago, the actual negotiations took a matter of weeks.
Compare that to nearly seven years of failed negotiations between Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao prior to their 2015 bout.
To Iole, the negotiations for this fight were aided by the willingness of McGregor to make it a reality.
"I think the biggest factor was that Conor wanted the fight so badly," said Iole. "Once you have one guy so invested in it and he wasn't splitting hairs over details, it makes it a lot easier to get done."
Details for a fight of this magnitude can range from a minor factor like who walks to the ring first to a major consideration like the revenue split.
While the balance of revenue for each fighter remains undisclosed, Iole expects both to to make nine-figures.
"Conor and Floyd both (will make) over $100 million, Iole said, but added, "That is going to assume a very large pay per view sale. I think they can get there."
A number considered large would be in the four million range of pay per views sold. Four million would put this fight in the ballpark of the 4.6 million record set by Mayweather and Pacquiao in May of 2015.
One concern from prospective viewers is the question of whether McGregor, who's never competed in a professional boxing match, can offer any competition to Mayweather.
Iole urges fans not to expect a competitive classic, but to simply enjoy the ride.
"People are going to go in with their eyes wide open," Iole said of the expectations. "Sometimes you go to the movies to watch a serious, powerful drama, and sometimes you go to the movies to watch Porky's."
Porky's grossed over $109 Million in theaters worldwide back in 1981.
Iole weighed in on how he expects the bout to unfold.
"I expect a total, one sided, white wash for Mayweather," he said. "Conor is a terrific athlete and MMA fighter but this is a different sport."
Boxing is a component of McGregor's sport, mixed martial arts, but it's only one piece of the puzzle. MMA fighters employ a different stance and different approach, having to also deal with takedowns, kicks, knees and elbows, in addition to punches.
While Mayweather has dedicated his entire life to the specific disciplines of boxing, McGregor has only been dedicating his preparations to a boxing-specific approach for a matter of months.
"How in the world is (McGregor) going to get enough knowledge and instinct - because you can't be thinking in the ring - to match wits with one of the smartest fighters who ever lived?"
The answer to this question will have to wait until August 26th on pay per view.
Listen to the full interview from Fight Night above.
