It?s OFFICIAL?September 12 will be date night for boxing fans everywhere as a cynical, poorly-conceived Floyd Mayweather-Andre Berto PPV frees up a nice fall evening for wining and dining boxing widows throughout the nation.
On that evening, rather than having to be glued to their TV in anticipation of a ?must see? prize fight, boxing fans can take their significant other to a lovely restaurant or treat them to some live music at a local club. No need to worry about what they?ll be missing at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas because, really, they won?t be missing much.
Fight fans will be able to put that $60 saved on not buying this not-buyable show towards a lovely bouquet of roses or, maybe, a nice carriage ride through the park.
Thank Mayweather Promotions for making this lovely romantic evening possible.
But seriously?
Simply put?Mayweather vs. Berto is the worst, most cynical PPV headliner since Pacquiao-Algieri. It?s a bout that shouldn?t be or, to be fair, maybe should have been?five years ago.
Berto is 2-2 in his last four bouts and 3-3 in his last six. Since testing positive for a banned substance in 2012, the Haitian-American former WBC and IBF welterweight champion hasn?t been able to beat a top flight welterweight. Recent victories over fringe contender Josesito Lopez and Blue Horizon club fighter Steve Upsher Chambers are WAY offset by a TKO at the hands of Jesus Soto Karass and a decisive unanimous decision loss to Robert Guerrero.
Mayweather Promotions and Showtime are hoping that fans will remember the Berto of 2009-2010, who was being regarded as the best welterweight in the world not named Mayweather or Pacquiao, and disregard the damaged goods, style-less mess of a fighter he has become. It will be an uphill battle to promote this bout as worthy of a PPV price tag to anybody. And, upon quick assessment, it?s hard to envision a target market for this bout at all. Maybe the dolts who pay $75 for a TMT baseball cap and see themselves as members of the extended Money Team family? But how many of those guys are out there?
Efforts will be made to squeeze a silver lining from this cloud of soot. And, I suppose, if you put enough brain power to the task, you could come up with a few things to make Mayweather-Berto more palatable. Berto is the most all-around athletic fighter Mayweather has fought in some time and, for all his faults and real lack of big ticket worthiness, he is also a mentally tough competitor known for fighting back hard when in trouble. One could also rationalize that Mayweather deserves a softball after scoring a win over arch nemesis Manny Pacquiao in his last bout.
But no matter what kind of positive spin you put on it, this is going to be a tough sell?and deservedly so.
Mayweather-Berto– on PPV– is not a good deal and, certainly, not a bout made with any degree of respect when it comes to the fans and their hard-earned money.
