Why some would rather brush their teeth with a rock than watch Mayweather vs McGregor

It is a fight that has split opinion right down the middle and while some fans have been caught up in the hype‚ there are those who says they’d rather brush their teeth with a rock than watch Floyd ‘‘Money” Mayweather’s face Conor ‘‘The Notorious” McGregor this weekend.

The hype machine of the boxing match between the American superstar and the Irish MMA star has reached unprecedented heights‚ but this is such a polarising contest that even SA’s boxing personalities can’t decide whether they will get up and watch fight in the early hours of Sunday morning (SA time) or ignore.

Mayweather — who is widely regarded as one of the greatest boxers of all time — is undefeated in his professional career with 49-0.

The 40-year-old boxer — who has 26 knockouts — is a five-division world champion‚ having won 15 world titles and the lineal championship in four weight classes.

The 29-year-old McGregor is the reigning Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champion.

He is a former UFC featherweight titlist and has competed as a featherweight‚ lightweight and welterweight and has 21 wins from 24 fights.

The Irishman will make his boxing debut against Mayweather and their fight will be fought strictly under boxing rules.

Those who are opposed to the fight are outraged that an MMA fighter will be allowed to step in the ring with one of the greatest boxers of all time.

AGAINST Promoter Rodney Berman:

‘‘I know that all will watch… I certainly won’t. It brings both codes [boxing and mixed martial arts] into disrepute.

‘‘It’s greed‚ that’s all I can say. I can’t believe this was sanctioned. A guy who’s never laced on a glove against one of the all-time greats. It’s a sad indictment on all involved.”

Australia-based former IBF and IBO world champion Lovemore ‘‘Black Panther” Ndou:

‘‘Wake up for that? No. This is the biggest joke of boxing‚ if not a mockery to the sport of boxing.

‘‘I would rather get up and jog in the streets rather than watch that fight. Yes‚ I will be interested in the result which I think I already know. But to wake up and watch‚ no sorry.”

FOR Boxing SA chief executive Tsholofelo Lejaka:

‘‘Yes‚ I will definitely be up in the morning. I will embrace it — I need to return the favour to my kids.

‘‘My father used to do the same with me. He used to wake me up and we would go out and get the family's generator roaring. When we did that‚ it was time to watch boxing."

Dingaan Thobela:

‘‘You dialled the right number but I think you posed the right question to a wrong recipient. How could you even dare ask if I will wake up? I have lived my entire life as a boxing person and surely I will die as one.

‘‘Boxing is in my veins‚ be it Floyd or any other up and coming youngster. For as long as it is on television‚ I wake up. Now it is even better because we are talking about Mayweather Junior‚ unless of course we have forgotten who Floyd is.”

Gauteng trainer Bernie Pailman: ‘‘I will be up as early as 3am just to show you how much I love this sport of boxing.

‘‘I have even opened the invite to my boxers to come to my house so that we watch this event together.

‘‘Look‚ unless one is a pretender to the throne‚ a pure boxing person will be up. You will be shocked that these people who say they will not wake up have actually taken huge bets on Floyd to do what he has been doing for 29 years. So‚ yes‚ call me at 5am‚ I will answer your call.”

SuperSport will cross over to Las Vegas from 3am and televise undercard bout until the main event at around 5am.

— TimesLIVE