“Berto is a tough competitor, a former world champion”. Nearly everyone with “juice” in the boxing media business is in bed with someone, or they wouldn’t have “juice” in the first place. I wrote this in response to some of the many nonsensical attempts being made to portray the september 12 fight as anything but a joke.
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Mayweather’s last bout raised his profile outside boxing to new heights, but also exposed him to unprecedentedly widespread criticism, with his legal history of violence against women spotlighted throughout the run-up to his win. Nothing has meaning anymore because nothing carries any weight.
Boxing fans have spoken, and they are less than pleased Floyd Mayweather selected Andre Berto as his next opponent for a fight on September 12.
It has also put some of us, who try not to buy into the sponsored group-think, into the unenviable position of pissing everyone off, all at once. “One Time” said. “Floyd Mayweather told him to do it. ‘Yes, no problem”. It actually holds up quite well with any of this era’s best.
The last bout of a six-fight deal with broadcaster Showtime, this could be the WBC and WBA welterweight champion’s final time in the ring. Not after Floyd suggested that Thurman should fight up and coming Mayweather Promotions prospect Errol Spence Jr first, and after his right hand man Leonard Ellerbe also accused “One Time” of not being on Floyd’s level some weeks ago.
Mayweather (48-0, 26KOs) said last Thursday in the press conference for his fight against Berto that he chose the 31-year-old because he is an exciting fighter.
And yeah, yeah…the matchmaker in me realizes that the Berto match-up is not without its intrigue.
“It will be a good fight as Andre Berto is fast and strong”, Pacquiao said.
‘Just another day adding to the collection, ‘ Mayweather wrote on Instagram with an apparent nonchalance. Mayweather pocketed $100 million right after the match and got more later, when all the sales were calculated.
An overconfident, weepy-from-self-congratulations Mayweather, though, can be upset.
But is it fair for the competitiveness and overall worth of such a high profile bout to be based nearly entirely on the favorite screwing himself out of the win? The two fought May 2 and Mayweather won by unanimous decision.
Berto’s record makes for slightly less impressive reading than Mayweather’s endorsement. It takes my mind off all the hard work that goes into preparing for a fight.
In this particular case, Mayweather, who has been unfairly maligned over the years, is deserving of scorn in his selection of Berto, especially as a PPV foe.
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The continuing public backlash against Floyd Mayweather for picking Andre Berto as his next opponent could either make or break CBS/Showtime’s revenue projection based on minimum pay-per-view (PPV) sales targets in an effort to make the fight viable.
