Leonard Ellerbe lashes out at Mayweather vs. McGregor haters: ‘If you don’t want to watch it, don’t buy it.’
The Mayweather Promotions CEO wasn’t in too great of a mood at today’s media event from the Mayweather Boxing Club.
The Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor superfight is mere weeks away, but the hype for the fight seems to be slightly less than you'd expect considering the lofty expectations leading up to the official announcement. Maybe that's why Mayweather Promotions CEO Leonard Ellerbe seemed a lot less calm and composed than usual today during a media event at Floyd's gym.
Ellerbe didn't hesitate to lambaste the press, which has at best been giving Mayweather a heavy advantage and at worst writing it off as a cynical money grab.
“Mind your f**king business, you know?" he said. "It’s like do your job, cover the sport. Obviously, you have to give your opinion, which we understand that. It’s like, we don’t see you saying nothing else about anybody else’s events. We know what this is about. It’s like okay, one thing is for sure, you’re not gonna stop this event. The fans demanded this event and that’s what they’re gonna get. We didn’t ask for this.”
“That’s what’s wrong with boxing today. You guys are always complaining and looking for shit to complain about when there’s nothing there. That’s the reason why we can’t be innovative. That’s what Floyd Mayweather has done differently than anybody else. He’s thought outside the box.”
He didn't exempt the fans, or at least the boxing purists denouncing the fight, from his rant.
“We appreciate all the fans,” Ellerbe said. “We don’t ever want to turn our back or say anything. But again, the hardcore fans, that’s the reason why our sport isn’t where football and basketball is. It’s because we stay in our own little box. It’s like, you tell me what’s wrong with these two guys fighting. If you don’t want to watch it, don’t buy it. It’s as simple as that.”
It sounds like Leonard is taking a page out of the Dana White school of promotion. The UFC president has never been shy about telling fans dissing his card to screw off and not buy it. With Mayweather vs. McGregor, it seems like a lot of people are still on the fence regarding whether they want to shell out the $99.95 to watch it. We're not sure if Ellerbe's rant today will have helped convince too many.
