Easy way out

Former WBC/IBF welterweight champion and Haitian Olympian Andre Berto has been hand-picked by Floyd Mayweather, Jr. to be his opponent in the last fight of a $200-250 Million Showtime contract at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Sept. 12. Berto is an easy target and tailor-made for Mayweather to look good in raising his record to 49-0, duplicating the late world heavyweight titlist Rocky Marciano’s mark.

If Mayweather is The Best Ever as he claims to be, he’s not acting the part. Mayweather said he’s ending his career against Berto. But he’s going out cautiously. A walk in the park isn’t exactly what fans would expect from a fighter who insists he’s better than Muhammad Ali or Sugar Ray Robinson. Mayweather owes boxing fans a swan song – a legacy fight – to remember, not to forget. If boxing is a dying sport, it’s because of champions like Mayweather who don’t excite the fans because they prefer to hit-and-run than engage.

Mayweather could’ve chosen unbeaten welterweight champions Keith Thurman, recognized by the WBA as the “regular” titleholder, or Kell Brook, who wears the IBF belt, to face instead of Berto. Either Thurman or Brook would’ve been a worthy foe. Amir Khan was another option but he, too, was turned down despite pleading for a chance in a widespread social media campaign. Obviously, Mayweather wanted a patsy, a tomato can to step on and trample. He took the easy way out and tapped Berto to play foil.

The betting is Mayweather will continue fighting beyond Berto. There’s a rematch with Manny Pacquiao looming in the horizon, another big money payday. After Berto, Mayweather will be a free agent with no network contract. He could pit Showtime and HBO in a bidding war that will only result in upping his guaranteed purse. No other fight can deliver a fat paycheck for Mayweather than a Pacquiao rematch. Even if the rematch brings in half as much as the first fight, the amount will be significant and difficult to ignore. And if Pacquiao wins the return fight, imagine the interest in a rubber match. 

As for Berto, he can’t be considered a serious threat. He’s lost three of his last six. Berto, 31, has a history of hitting the canvas. Cosme Rivera dropped him once. Victor Ortiz floored him twice as did Robert Guerrero. Jesus Soto Karass decked him once. In his most recent outing last March, Berto was behind in two of three judges’ scorecards when he stopped Josesito Lopez. One judge had Lopez on top by a shutout, 50-45, before the curtains fell.

Berto’s inactivity is a sign of a lack of commitment to the ring. In the last 45 months, he has figured in only four fights or an average of one bout a year. The intervals in between his last four fights were 14 months, eight months, 14 months and six months. When he takes on Mayweather, it will be six months after battling Lopez. The WBA, however, has the audacity to recognize Berto as its interim world welterweight champion – an odious anomaly considering Mayweather is the “unified” titlist and Thurman the “regular” ruler.

Matt Christie of Boxing News wasn’t impressed with Berto in struggling against Luis Collazo and Juan Urango. “Berto is as exciting as he is vulnerable, wading in with fast hands and leaving himself wide open in the process,” said Christie. Writer Danny Flexen described Berto as “talented and explosive but hittable.”

When Berto faced Karass two years ago, he worked with new trainer Virgil Hunter. “Virgil’s seen me box kids’ heads off out here in the gym,” he said. “At the same time, he sees me just stay behind that defense and just bang it out. It’s a case of getting back to the basics on what I do and that’s to stay strong, stay good on my defense, work on my jab and work on my strong combinations.”

What Berto planned to do against Karass never happened. He hurt his shoulder in the fifth round after missing a punch. Karass seized control and Berto found himself desperately trying to survive. In the 10th round, Berto was puffy under both eyes and threw a low blow that prompted referee Jon Schorle to call time. Berto went down early in the 12th and got up wobbly. Schorle waved it off.

Against Guerrero, Berto was floored in the first and second rounds. He fought back but couldn’t turn the tables on The Ghost. Both Berto’s eyes were battered to slits by the 10th round. The three judges turned in identical 116-110 scorecards for Guerrero.

Berto isn’t a fighter who commands respect. He backed out of a unification welterweight championship fight against Sugar Shane Mosley to commiserate with his countrymen who were victimized by an earthquake. Berto could’ve gone on with the fight and donated his purse to the earthquake victims. But he chose to walk away. On another occasion, he gave up his IBF title rather than face hard-hitting Randall Bailey. Then, Berto was supposed to fight Ortiz in a rematch but it was canceled when he tested positive for a performance-enhancing-drug before the bout. Berto said the test was flawed and insisted he was found positive because of contaminated food or supplement.

It doesn’t seem like Mayweather is interested to give Showtime a money-making sendoff. Generating a million pay-per-view hits with Berto is impossible because the fight is potentially a no-contest. Mayweather will be lucky with 500,000 buys. But he couldn’t care less how much the fight earns or loses. As far as Mayweather is concerned, he’s guaranteed his millions by Showtime, regardless of whom his opponent is. Berto will likely be knocked out. His defense is a joke and Mayweather will pick him apart bit by bit. Mayweather will look ferocious but who wouldn’t against a patsy? Once Mayweather disposes of Berto, will he hang up his gloves for good or will he hang around for another appointment with Pacquiao?