“Yes, however faint their buzzing, the flies have been thick since MAYHEM was announced. It speaks to boxing’s current malaise that what constitutes news, and even worse, entertainment, moves further and further away from ringside—despite the fact that all that really matters is what transpires between the ropes. A second installment of a surprisingly competitive fight? No, no, that is a grossly inadequate promotional angle in the TMZ days/daze.”

Read Like A Buzzless Fly: Floyd Mayweather-Marcos Maidana II Preview on The Cruelest Sport.

“It was not supposed to be this way, of course, which explains the transparent hijinx leading up to the fight. We were encouraged to believe that distractions in his personal life, strategically made public by none other than Mayweather himself, threatened to infiltrate the sanctity of his preparation. There was talk, too, of potential retirement, as if the man who branded himself “Money” would bid goodbye with earnings in the neighbourhood of $100 million still on the table. And as “The Moment” drew nearer, objections to Maidana’s gloves were raised, emptily threatening to scuttle the fight. This is what passes for promotion in a Mayweather event: broken bells and whistles unable to drown out the collective groan amongst those who crave bang for their buck in a combat sport.”

Read Nemesis: Floyd Mayweather Jr. W12 Marcos Maidana on The Cruelest Sport.