Floyd Mayweather Jr. sure knows how to surpass expectations. The current pound-for-pound king and highest-earning fighter in the game has decided to follow up one of the biggest and most-disappointing fights in history, with one of the most disappointing fights in history.
Mayweather (48-0, 26 KO) has officially finalized his opponent for what is expected to be the final bout of his illustrious career. What opponent has been tabbed to be Mayweather’s final challenge? Is it a rematch with Manny Pacquiao or Miguel Cotto? What about a fight against knockout artist extraordinaire Gennady Golovkin? Maybe the heavy-handed welterweight Keith Thurman will get the call. The unfortunate answer is none of the above. Mayweather will be fighting Andre Berto on Sept. 12 (30-3, 23 KO) to cap off his 19-year career. Sigh.
Berto (30-3, 23 KO) is a guy who was once groomed to be amongst this generation’s elite fighters but never really panned out. He’s not a terrible fighter, but as his 3-3 record over his last six bouts indicates, he’s not that good either. Berto is just a guy. If we were talking football, he would be considered a high-motor player. He gives A+ effort and always tries really hard. Those are not exactly rave reviews.
I was prepared to give Mayweather a break after defeating Pacquiao so easily in May. No fight exists that would match the anticipation of his fight with Pacquiao, which broke nearly every fight record in regards to viewers and earnings. Despite criticism about his opponent selection in recent years, he deserves credit for fighting, and beating, Pacquiao, Cotto and Saul “Canelo” Alvarez. However, Mayweather vs Berto is boxing’s version of Drake vs Meek Mill. Mayweather and Berto are simply not in the same class. They’re not even in the same school district.
Last month, Floyd Mayweather Sr. told reporters that his son had talked about taking a few easy fights to wind down his career. Senior’s advice? “If he feels that way, he should get on out of the game.”
Poppa Mayweather was right. “Money” should’ve just hung up his boxing boots if he does not want to face true challenges anymore. I guess he wants an easy payday to wrap up his six-fight Showtime deal and sail off into the sunset. Initially there were talks of the fight being televised on Showtime’s parent network, CBS. Other than the garbage can, that’s where this fight belongs, on free TV. However, it was announced that the bout will be televised on Showtime PPV. I’m not sure who in their right mind would drop funds for this matchup. Then again, for the 4+ million people who doled out $100 to watch Mayweather and Pacquiao waltz around the ring for 12-rounds, this bout promises to be twice the action at half the price.
Fan interest will likely be slim-to-none for this bout, but it’s unlikely that Mayweather really cares. He made well over $200 million versus Pacquiao and will still likely net more than $20 to $30m for a glorified sparring session against Berto. Mayweather isn’t the first boxing great to face a less-than-stellar opponent before walking off into the sunset (assuming he actually retires, which is never a safe bet when it comes to boxing). Most fighters who take the easy way out do so after being shopworn and suffering a few bad losses. They rebound with a tomato can so they can walk off with their heads held high. Mayweather’s record is unblemished and he’s still the top fighter in the world. The fight just doesn’t make sense.
Should he somehow lose to Berto, who is a massive underdog, his already hollow T.B.E. claims will evaporate into thin air. Should Mayweather emerge victorious, as expected, his famed shoulder roll will be met with a proverbial shoulder shrug by all.
Rousey running out of opponents
Outside of Golovkin, the only opponent left for Mayweather that would truly captivate the public’s imagination would be Ronda Rousey. Despite media jabs between the two, that fight would never happen, but Rousey finds herself in a situation similar to Mayweather’s. She’s been so dominant that she’s running out of opponents.
Rousey’s domination is a different type than Mayweather’s. She is simply running through every opponent the UFC has to offer. Her latest victory came by way of a vicious knockout over Bethe Correia just 34 seconds, which was twice as long as her previous two opponents lasted in the ring with the UFC’s latest sensation. At this point, Rousey is simply head and shoulders above the competition. Her next bout will be her third against Miesha Tate. The only real question is whether Tate can make it out of the first-round once again.
The only real fight for Rousey is against current Invicta FC champion Cris “Cyborg” Justino. For now, that matchup is just a dream. In addition to fighting for different promotions, Rousey and Justino fight in different weight classes. Rousey rules at 135-pounds. Cyborg controls the 145-pound division. An easy answer to be to split the difference and compete at a 140-pound catchweight. Up to now, however, Rousey has been reluctant to do so because Cyborg served a yearlong ban for steroid use in 2011. Despite the obstacles, I have a feeling though, this fight will eventually happen like Mayweather vs Pacquiao. It has to happen. I just hope the fighters don’t wait until the dream matchup is past its shelf date.
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