Alan Hubbard

Hype, hype hooray! That billion dollar bunfight in Las Vegas is over so now Sin City - and boxing - can get on with the real fight.

This will happen at the same T-Mobile Arena on Saturday fortnight when the sport’s finest two middleweights, Gennady (Triple G) Golovkin and Saul "Canelo"Alvarez put their collective multitude of world title belts up for grabs.

And we can finally allow Floyd Mayweather Jnr, some $300 million (£232 million/€250 million) richer, to ride off into the sunset on the back of Rocky Marciano’s broken record  and his Irish jig partner Conor McGregor to return to the MMA’s less disciplined - and demanding - octagon.

I am still wondering how I was sucker-punched into coughing up 20 quid for the nonsense we witnessed last weekend.

As I saw it, Mayweather obviously forfeited the first couple of rounds to make it seem more of fight than it actually was: A mismatch mix-match. He could have won whenever he wished, instead of leaving it until Round 10.

But that’s showbiz for you.

It was clear to anyone who knew about boxing that Floyd Mayweather Jnr was a class apart from Conor McGregor ©Getty Images
It was clear to anyone who knew about boxing that Floyd Mayweather Jnr was a class apart from Conor McGregor ©Getty Images

McGregor had balls but neither the stamina nor a big punch that could cause the 40-year-old who calls himself "The Best Ever" to break sweat.

Mayweather won exactly when and how he wanted. And in doing so at least gave the punters and pay-per-viewers something approaching what they expected to see. A masterclass in strategic domination.

I was asked by a boxing publication before the fight for my forecast. This is what I wrote:

"All Mayweather really needs to do to make it a record-busting 50-0 is backfoot it behind the jab for as long as he wishes or until McGregor runs out of gas and ambition in trying to nail the most elusive practitioner modern boxing has known and is saved from total humiliation by the intervention of Nevada State-appointed referee Robert Byrd."

I rest my case.

It was not so much a fight, more a foregone conclusion.

Anyone without a vested interest - such as Sky TV - or half a brain could see that Mayweather showed up McGregor to be the absolute novice he is under Queensberry Rules.

But he did it craftily and professionally because he did not want this bizarre extravaganza to appear a total farce.

Which it could have been had Mayweather elected to turn on the heat after the first two rounds.

Yes, McGregor was brave, but who wouldn’t be for the thick end of a couple of million or more?

Even normally respected channels like Sky News treated the multi-million dollar fight between Floyd Mayweather Jnr v Conor McGregor in Las Vegas like it was fight of the century ©Sky News
Even normally respected channels like Sky News treated the multi-million dollar fight between Floyd Mayweather Jnr v Conor McGregor in Las Vegas like it was fight of the century ©Sky News

We have come to expect the pom-pom waving from Sky Sports’ commentary boxers but it was sad see even the usually excellent Sky News channel report McGregor’ s obviously assisted survival for 10 and a bit rounds as one of the greatest achievements in the annals of sport.

Actually, I was reminded of the memorable occasion when Muhammad Ali, pitted against a hopelessly inadequate opponent, leaned over the ropes between rounds to beseech a TV producer: "You’d better get those commercials in quick. I can’t hold this sucker up any longer."

Afterwards Mayweather said he chose the right dance partner for his last waltz. Unfortunately the man from UFC couldn’t tell a waltz from a tango as far as proper boxing was concerned, though he did his best.

Thankfully nearly all has been said and done about this miserable obscenely money-oriented affair. So let’s hope that what happened in Vegas, now stays in Vegas.

The truth is there isn’t a half-decent welterweight boxer in the world who wouldn’t beat McGregor in a legitimate fist fight. Which is so many of them are queuing up to try and persuade him to engage with them for a few million bucks - among them Britain’s Amir Khan.

On the exact 13th anniversary of him returning home to Bolton in triumph after wining an historic Olympic silver medal at 17 as Britain’s lone ring ranger "King" Khan is now at the crossroads of his chequered professional career, having won and lost world titles- as well as his missus -and been in the tabloid headlines more than he has in the ring of late.

Sadly, he now 30-year-old Khan seems to have his finger firmly on the self- destruct button and, as a result, has dropped off the radar.

Britain's Amir Khan is at a career crossroads 13 years after winning an Olympic silver medal at Athens 2004 ©Getty Images
Britain's Amir Khan is at a career crossroads 13 years after winning an Olympic silver medal at Athens 2004 ©Getty Images

Last seen he was in Vegas along with countless other celebs for Saturday’s event.

The former two-time world welterweight champ hasn’t fought for 15 months since that horrific knockout defeat against Canelo in Las Vegas.

In fact, he has had just two fights in the last three years, which means his name has been removed from the top-15 rankings by all four of the World Championship bodies.

Long periods of inactivity usually play havoc with fighters and do nothing for their well-being. It badly affects their speed and reflexes and often leads to the softening of mind and body.

Khan is making matters far worse for himself. According to The Sun, since the bitter break-up of his four-year marriage to beautiful American wife Farayal Makhdoom he seems have been spending more time nightclubs than the gym.

He has also fallen out with his family big-time.

Some time ago I asked one of his now discarded entourage what had happened to the boy from Bolton who won over the nation with his innocence, charm and considerable skills. "He has discovered his d***" came the reply.

Now a former friend is quoted as saying: "He is still a lovely guy but loves partying hard, drinking, smoking sheesha and going out with beautiful women."

That sounds rather like Mike Tyson, who was never the same once he discovered the delights of the vine and the flesh.

What Khan should be doing is chasing welterweight kings Keith Thurman, Errol Spence and Manny Pacquiao’s recent conqueror Jeff Horn. Not the ladies.

And like the rest of the boxing world tuning in to watch how those perfectionist pros Golovkin and Alvarez go about the real business of boxing on September 16.