'It was unreal': Calgarian recounts Vegas trip for Mayweather vs. McGregor
From her seats on the arena's 2nd level she had a great view of the ring and the spectators
A well-connected Calgary bartender who scored free tickets to the fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Conor McGregor says the crowd was on its feet at the T-Mobile Area on Saturday.
"It was really cool, very classy," Samantha Neufeld-Worley said. "The energy was insane. Everyone was drinking and partying and having a good time and dressed to the nines."
Neufeld-Worley used her Las Vegas connections to land six tickets, with a price tag of $2,500 USD each, to the much-anticipated super welterweight boxing match.
From her seats on the second level of the area, Neufeld-Worley said she had a great view of the ring and the spectators, including a few celebrity sightings.
"We spotted Bruce Willis walking to his seats from where we were and [Jennifer Lopez] was on the big screen."
Neufeld-Worley said McGregor was the obvious crowd favourite, with many fans wearing Irish flags as capes to support the UFC fighter in his fight against the boxing legend, Mayweather.
She said the entire event was ripped from the pages of a Hollywood script.
"Everyone was booing Mayweather, cheering for McGregor," Neufeld-Worley said. "It was kind of like watching Rocky Balboa when he fought Apollo Creed."
'He just ragdolled him in the 10th round'
The match between Mayweather and McGregor wasn't the Calgarian's first big-ticket fight. Neufeld-Worley went to Las Vegas for a UFC fight last year to see McGregor take on Nate Diaz in their first of two bouts.
Even though she had ringside tickets for that match, she said enjoyed her second-tier seats more because of the bird's eye view of the ring.
Neufeld-Worley said while most of the crowd was cheering for McGregor, she was cheering on the reigning super welterweight champ.
"I felt [McGregor] was a little arrogant and I was more so on the side of Floyd Mayweather, that's for sure," Neufeld-Worley said.
Despite the hype surrounding the fight, Neufeld-Worley said she found the match "a little anti-climactic."
"There wasn't a whole lot of energy between the two fighters," she said. "McGregor was kind of standing off, taking his time. Mayweather seemed like he was letting McGregor wear himself out and then as soon as he got a chance he just ragdolled him in the 10th round."
'They were pretty much on par'
Neufeld-Worley said many in the crowd were adamant McGregor would win the match even though he was the obvious underdog.
Mayweather pounded McGregor in the later rounds, finally stopping him in the 10th, winning the match by Technical Knock Out for his record-breaking 50th win, bringing his record to 50-0.
Mayweather said after the match that he would never fight again after surpassing Rocky Marciano's 49-0 record.
"To be honest I thought it would go the full 12 rounds," Neufeld-Worley said.
"In the 10th round when [Mayweather] won I was really taken aback because I though it was going to be one of those things where it went all the way through the 12."
"And throughout the fight they were pretty much on par."
On Sunday, Neufeld-Worley said she was enjoying some time on Las Vegas' Fremont Street before heading back to Calgary.
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With files from Kate Adach