Floyd Mayweather Vs. Andre Berto Set For September 12
It’s been known for some time now that boxing’s pound-for-pound king Floyd “Money” Mayweather has been planning to fight on September 12, a fight that will likely be the last of his incredible boxing career. Mayweather isn’t only boxing’s pound-for-pound king in the ring, but he also, by far, the sport’s top box office draw. But here’s the thing: it appears that his next fight won’t be on pay-per-view, as it will air on CBS. That’s right, Mayweather’s final fight will air on free television.
After Mayweather defeated Manny Pacquiao this past May, many people assumed that there wouldn’t be any more opponents for Mayweather, as he just had the “fight of the century” against the boxer who was supposed to be his toughest test. But it appears that Mayweather does have one “final” opponent, and the fight is pretty much set.
It’s looking like Andre Berto, who is 31 years-old and has a professional record of 30 wins and 3 losses, with 23 wins coming by way of knockout, will be Mayweather’s next opponent.
When potential opponents for Mayweather were being considered, Berto’s name never came up. The only names we heard that might take on Mayweather in September were Amir Khan, Keith Thurman, Miguel Cotto, and Canelo Alvarez, so the fact that he’s going to face Andre Berto is a bit surprising.
Berto, at one point, was one of the top-ranked boxers in the world. However, in 2011, he suffered the first loss of his career to Victor Ortiz, who was famously knocked out by Mayweather five months later.
With the loss to Ortiz included, Berto is 3-3 in his last six fights, having lost to the aforementioned Victor Ortiz via unanimous decision, Robert Guerrero via unanimous decision, and Jesus Soto Karass via TKO. Berto’s last three wins came against Jan Zaveck via TKO, Steve Upsher Chambers via unanimous decision, and Josesito Lopez via TKO.
Some aren’t buying that September 12 will be the very last time we see Floyd Mayweather compete. If Mayweather defeats Berto, he’ll have a spotless record of 49-0, and many think that he’ll want to improve to 50-0 before he calls it a career. That of course remains to be seen, but Mayweather has said that he’s fine retiring at 49-0.
The fight between Mayweather and Berto hasn’t been officially confirmed, but, it could be announced any day now, so stay tuned!
[Image via Al Bello / Getty Images]
