At this point it seems little can stop the inevitable crossover fight between boxing pound for pound great Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor. But that doesn’t mean some won’t voice their disapproval, like Oscar De La Hoya, who called on fans to reject the ‘farce’ of a fight that could destroy boxing’s reputation at a moment when the sport is starting to make a comeback.
And now we have the World Boxing Association turning their back on the fight as well. The WBA is the biggest and oldest of the four major sanctioning organizations in boxing, and Floyd Mayweather held the WBA welterweight and super-welterweight belt during his reign at the top of the sport.
That didn’t stop WBA president Gilberto Mendoza from refusing to give the match his organization’s stamp of approval.
“I don’t think it’s good for boxing to endorse it as an official fight,” he said during press a conference in Panama. I think both are great athletes, but Floyd is retired and if he wants to be back, he has great boxers whom he can face and provide a good show. I know this fight can be done. However, I want to make it clear that the World Boxing Association will not get involved in the event. We respect both athletes and it seems to me that Mayweather proved to be the best, as McGregor has done in the UFC, but a bout between both should not be more than an exhibition.”
Fortunately for Mayweather and McGregor, they don’t need the approval of the WBA to go ahead with the match-up. The only organization that matters in the end is the athletic commission that sanctions the fight, and the Nevada State Athletic Commission has already repeatedly stated they’d do it. That decision was probably helped along by the fact that the NSAC gets a percentage of gate for hosting the event in their state.
So there you have it. A lot of people in boxing are really starting to not like the idea of Mayweather vs. McGregor, but are powerless to stop it. The only thing they can do is point out what a lopsided circus of a fight it will be, a refrain we’re sure will only get louder as the event nears. Crazily, though, it seems like that’s a big reason so many fans love it.
