The great Vegas gamble

On Monday in Las Vegas, moments before the solar eclipse, rain began falling heavily on the Strip, unusual to say the least for the middle of August or indeed the middle of the desert.

However, as this famous old fight city prepares for the biggest event in the history of organised combat sport, it is very much the calm before the storm. Either that, or we’ve all been sold an incredibly expensive dummy. This cross-sport attraction has seemingly caught the attention of the entire planet, with 49-0 all-time-great Floyd Mayweather resurfacing from his two-year retirement to put his undefeated record on the line in a bid to move to the fabled 50-0, overtaking the great Rocky Marciano in the process.

And if that wasn’t enough, he’s doing it against Conor McGregor, who is, depending what side of the fence you sit, either the world’s most charismatic and electrifying athlete or an intolerable gobshite.