"Technique"

Yes, to some extent, and it's evident from discussions on these forums, including this thread, that people are still interested in Conor McGregor as a boxer.
And not even now just based on his persona, it seems he's actually being "taken seriously" in terms of ability.

 

Where exactly was the demand for Mayweather-McGregor among boxing fans ?
It didn't exist at all before they started ranting and ramping it up for a year or so, then finally decided to do it.
That's the truth.

I get the feeling a lot of "exclusively boxing" fans (ie. guys who don't really follow MMA at all) bought this, and simply because it was happening.
I certainly don't think you all were at all interested in the thing a year or so ago, when it seemed like another silly load of bluster, a ridiculous notion.
But, sadly, the real fans end up getting pulled along by the hype and the expectations of the masses who don't really distinguish much between boxing, MMA and WWE or understand it at all, and end up buying in anyway.

That's all good ... except for the fact that boxing isn't strucured in a way to protect itself from becoming more and more a sideshow.
Already we've virtually lost the concept of meaningful world championships. The belts became a joke. Broadcasters often refuse to properly inform the viewer about meaningless titles.
Now, we have a 0-0 fighter being sold as half the attraction in a sanctioned bout that will go down as one of the biggest PPVs in the game.
And the WBC even provided a gaudy diamond encrusted belt !

I'm just a grumpy old man maybe but the sport has been destroying itself for years and it's only getting worse.
It's finally catching up with pro wrestling now.

If Golovkin-Alvarez generates less interest and money than May-McG that's quite a sad indictment of the sport.
And it will signal a turn towards more carnival in the future.

Mark my words.
But if everyone is fine with it that's all good too. I'm just telling it how I see it.

 

Certainly not by me, they got no £$£$ out of my wallet!

 

Don't forget Chris Eubank Sr.
He pretty much picked McGregor to win.

 

Good for you.
And, in your case, I would have been shocked if it was otherwise.

 

Well that was the kiss of death that narcissistic loony picking him!

 

If there's any truth whatsoever in what you're saying here, it just shows how far boxing has sunk and how low expectations of fans are.

No other sport operates on (and encourages) the opinions of the ignorant in that manner.

If you need a 40 year old retired great boxer against a non-boxer to remind you "the level of abilities and skill sets great boxers possess" you probably never had a clue to start with.

I don't think people are that un-intelligent though. Ignorant perhaps, because they are deliberately kept in the dark. But I think people are clever enough to understand all sports at the elite level are being performed by supremely skilled trained athletes.

It's also obscene that broadcasters and media would greedily present this farce as a showpiece boxing event to make money and none of it will kick down to the real boxers who actually toil towards a decent payday, some of whom are potential box office but who the same broadcasters won't ever give a chance or invest in.
Boxing's never been fair, that's a given, and boxing as we knew it died a while ago.
But this is a new level of carnival. And it's what every fighter coming through will aspire to.

 

Do you mean the racially divided boxing up to 1930-1940 or the mob controlled boxing of the 30's, 40's, 50's and early 60's or the King-controlled boxing from the mid 70's (when Ali for instance faced Inoki) to the 2000's?

Well, then I'm quite happy it did.

Because currently we might have not only Wlad-Joshua, Canelo-Golovkin and two Kovalev-Ward fights within a period of 12 months but also Rigo-Loma. And it is perfectly possible to watch all those fights while totally ignoring McGregor-Mayweather.