Even if you’re not a boxing fan, by now you’re probably well aware that the long-awaited Conor McGregor-Floyd Mayweather fight has been scheduled for August 26.
It’s the kind of event that transcends the sport, as both men are larger-than-life personalities, and there’s the possibility of a real, live-on-pay-per-view trainwreck, as MMA fighter McGregor has never boxed professionally before.
And then there’s the trash talk.
McGregor and Mayweather are both masters of the artform, and they’ve been at the height of their powers in the run-up to their highly-anticipated match.
Recently, McGregor was offered some fresh ammo in the form of reports that “Money” Mayweather desperately needs the fight’s payday in order to pay off a nine-figure tax debt.
That may seem absurd, but Mayweather is frequently listed among the world’s highest-paid athletes, so it’s actually plausible that he could have racked up such a sizable debt.
TMZ recently caught up with McGregor in Beverly Hills, where, not surprisingly, he had a lot to say about Mayweather’s reportedly mammoth debt.
“That’s gotta sting,” McGregor told the site.
“He should’ve paid his taxes and stayed retired and kept my name out of his mouth!”
The exact amounts that Mayweather and McGregor will earn from their match remains unknown, but sources say Mayweather will be paid more than his opponent, and could pull in as much as $ 200 million.
So he should have no trouble getting the IRS off his back.
Of course, McGregor will be pulling in an unfathomable amount of cash, as well, and since it’ll be the biggest payday of his career by a wide margin, it’s only natural that TMZ asked if he’ll be smarter with his money than Floyd:
“I’m on Rodeo Drive!” McGregor responded.
“I’m blowing f-cking loads of it!”
It’s good to sprinkle a little self-deprecation in with your smack talk.
Of course, these days, McGregor is facing cheating allegations, so it’s not like Mayweather’s going into this roast battle unarmed.
This is one press tour that might prove more interesting than the fight it’s hyping.
Six weeks away from the big night, these two are already trading blows like a couple of champs.
The fight may be meaningless, but the press conferences are full-on title fights!