Our boxing writer Simon Crawford was left wondering 'what was the point of Mayweather v McGregor?'
It was more showbusiness than sport.
The Hollywood A-listers descended on Las Vegas in their private jets, paying US$10,000 for a ringside seat to witness what was being billed as 'the biggest fight ever'.
The clever marketing people had carefully selected the two men to play the lead roles, knowing they would ensure this particular soap opera would be a resounding success despite it having a decidedly sub-standard plot.
They even managed to turn it into the good guy against the villain in a raucous build-up just to give it further appeal.
Around $70million was grossed in ticket sales at the T-Mobile Arena and global TV viewing figures were expected to have gone through the roof.
But after watching Floyd Mayweather stop Conor McGregor in 10 largely one-sided rounds, I'm still scratching my head and wondering what the point of this fight actually was.
A five-weight world champion who has won 15 world titles in a stellar career, Mayweather is one the greatest boxers to ever lace up a pair of gloves yet here he was being tempted out of retirement to take on a UFC champion making his professional debut.
Ireland's McGregor is the UFC world lightweight champion but still has plenty to prove in his chosen sport so why did he feel the need to call Mayweather out?
McGregor v Malignaggi?
Conor McGregor and former world champion Paulie Malignaggi fell out after sparring together in the build up to the Mayweather fight and there have been suggestions the UFC man could return to the ring for a fight with the American.
Having seen him against Mayweather, Sky Bet go 6/4 that McGregor wins any such bout with Malignaggi the 1/2 favourite.
Meanwhile, McGregor is 1/2 to win a third UFC fight with Nate Diaz and the same price to win any rematch against Jose Aldo.
It's not as though either sport is struggling for popularity and needed a shot in the arm.
In fairness, UFC had nothing to lose and everything to gain. Had McGregor pulled off one of the biggest sporting shocks of all time, then the sport would have been riding on the crest of a wave for years to come.
But a 40-year-old Mayweather who had not fought for two years was taking a considerable risk, most notably his 49-0 unbeaten record and boxing's entire reputation and credibility.
How damaging would it have been for the sport if one of its greatest-ever exponents had lost to a man who had never boxed before?
As it was, the fight turned out how the majority expected it to.
McGregor made a decent start and won a couple of rounds, but Mayweather was never in trouble and once he found his range there was only going to be one outcome.
McGregor, much the bigger man physically, soon ran out of gas and the boxer became the predator, stalking his opponent around the ring and smiling at him incessantly.
From pretty much round six onwards, Mayweather could have stopped the fight when he wanted to but he was enjoying himself, so he toyed with the brash McGregor, perhaps trying to break his redoubtable spirit.
Ultimately, and despite all the hype, it was too one-sided to be a spectacle so again I am left wondering, what was the point of it?
I can only conclude it was personal financial gain - pure and simple.
A lot of people made a lot of money from this one night in the famed gambling city of Vegas where the respective sports of boxing and UFC were sadly used as the chips.
I hope we never see it again.
Related links
Mayweather beats McGregor in 10
Mayweather v McGregor: Reaction
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