At 38, Mayweather is undoubtedly near retirement, but can a man of his ego really resist one-upping Marciano?
On September 12th of this year boxing fans around the world may witness the final Mayweather extravaganza. The sure-fire Hall of Famer says that he will retire after he attempts to tie Rocky Marciano?s record mark of 49 victories without a defeat. Marciano?s last fight was a knockout victory over the out-sized, but still formidable, Archie Moore. On the other hand, Mayweather?s next opponent, Andre Berto, is a fizzled out former prospect on the downside of his career. If Mayweather wants his final fight to be little more than a glorified sparing match, that?s his prerogative. However, it is a travesty that Money Mayweather and the powers that be in boxing seem to have no respect for this historic occasion. Instead of choosing a deserving opponent, Floyd is intent on fleecing the public to fork over money for a PPV headliner that is debatably worth seeing for free.
Rarely would anyone enter a ring with the knowledge that he will likely be hit hundreds of times and still feel like a lottery winner. Berto has to feel lucky though, as he is due to receive a three-million dollar purse and is not even a top ten welterweight contender. In fact, only three fights ago he was knocked out by the tough but limited Jesus Soto Karass. While Berto did win his next two fights following the loss to Soto Karass, the victories came against nondescript opposition. Consequently, it?s not the so much that Berto is not likely to win that is troublesome, rather it is that he can at best be considered a fringe contender. Floyd would be the betting favorite versus any fighter in the 140- to 154-pound range. However, some fighters in this range would be considered reasonably legitimate threats to his undefeated legacy. Keith Thurman may represent the most appealing of the group as he has good size and power and a fan-friendly style. He has destroyed all opposition and recently he has began to call out Mayweather and specifically stated, ?I?m a young, strong champion, Floyd, come get it.?
While Thurman likely poses the biggest challenge for Mayweather, there are a slew of other fighters who would also pose intriguing matchups. Two fighters in this second tier that readily come to mind are Kell Brook and Terence Crawford. Brook has had a few close nods, yet remains undefeated through 35 fights. Furthermore, one of these close decisions came against the formidable Shawn Porter. Like Thurman, Brook possesses a fan-friendly style and he therefore would likely press the action against the sometimes boring Floyd. Crawford is also both entertaining and has never been beaten. Though a weight class smaller than Floyd, his destruction of Yuriorkis Gamboa showed his remarkable athletic ability and he has looked good in his two bouts since then.
At this juncture in his career there is a good probability Floyd is intent in protecting his pristine record. Danny Garcia, Amir Khan, Shawn Porter, and Erislandy Lara all potentially have at least a Maidana?s chance in hell of giving Floyd some decent competition. At the same time it is highly unlikely that any of these fighters could beat him, yet they would all serve as nice bullet points on his r?sum?. When Money was fresh out of the mint Berto may have served as a good gatekeeper, but this bout is meaningless now. Floyd consistently pronounces himself as being the greatest fighter of all time, yet ironically on a momentous occasion he will be taking on the worst opponent he?s faced in years. If Floyd wants to take an occasional easy fight that is his choice. Boxing is a tough sport and if he wants to end his career as mentally intact as possible it is understandable. Just don?t try to disguise this awful matchup to the public as a prizefight. Floyd you?ve enriched yourself enough off the Sweet Science, why do you see fit to damage the sport and frustrate its fans?
While Mayweather says this will be his final fight, this is more likely a marketing ploy than the actual truth. He knows fans will be inclined to pay for the fight, if they feel like they may never see him inside the ropes again. After all, Floyd insisted that he was done in 2008 and seven years later he?s still stepping into the ring earning at least tens of millions of dollars with each fight. At 38, Floyd is undoubtedly near retirement, but can a man of his ego really resist one-upping Marciano? Regardless, fans across the world should wait to spend their coin on bout number 50?that is if Mayweather decides to square off against reasonable competition. Unfortunately, that may not happen as Floyd Sr. has admitted that his son ?just wants to get a couple easy fights.? That scenario seems plausible as we all know how proud Floyd is of his perfect record and age has revealed a few chinks in his armor. Mayweather is still an impressive fighter and if he fights worthy opponents feel free to pay for it; if not, save your money for other bouts.
As for Mayweather-Berto, hold onto that cash, you?re gonna need it for Golovkin-Lemieux or Canelo-Cotto.
