LAS VEGAS — Italy’s Roberta Vinci reminded us on Friday as Leon Spinks and Buster Douglas did in years past that anything can happen in an athletic competition.
Vinci was nearly as big an underdog against Serena Williams in the U.S. Open women’s semifinals as Andre Berto is against Floyd Mayweather Saturday night for the WBC and WBA welterweight championships at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
Mayweather, unbeaten in 48 fights with 26 knockouts, is a 30-1 favorite against Berto, a former two-time welterweight champion who is 30-3 with 23 KOs, but just 3-3 in his last six fights. Mayweather, 38, has said the Showtime PPV bout will be the final fight of his 19-year career, the start of a second retirement following a 21-month break after he defeated Ricky Hatton in 2007 and didn’t fight again until September 2009 against Juan Manuel Marquez.
Mayweather would match heavyweight champion Rocky Marciano’s record of 49-0, but claims he has no interest in trying for 50-0. Those close to him insist the retirement is real. It is the final bout of his six-fight deal with CBS/Showtime, which has earned him anywhere from $300 to $400 million with residuals to come over the next 10 years.
“My health is more important,” Mayweather said of his reasons for retirement. “If you stick around anything too long, anything can happen. I’m not really worried about losing, but I want to have a sharp mind. You can make a lot of money, but you still want to be able to talk, walk and have a sharp mind.”
His longtime friend and adviser Leonard Ellerbe said he believes Mayweather is done after this fight.
“Why can’t a man go out when he’s had an illustrious career, accomplished everything that he needs to accomplish and be done?” Ellerbe said.
It hasn’t exactly been a retirement celebration this week. The matchup with Berto continues to be heavily criticized as an underwhelming choice. Tickets remain available and pay-per-view sales are forecast to be lukewarm. But don’t be surprised if this fight proves better than expected.
Berto, 32, is a puncher-boxer who normally winds up in a brawl. Injuries to his biceps and shoulder have plagued him in recent years.
But with the respected Virgil Hunter working his corner, Berto has a chance to rewrite his own legacy.
“I’ve already been through a lot,” Berto said on Friday after being weighed at 145 pounds. “I’m here for a reason.”
Mayweather weighed in at 146 pounds.
“This is the last time, I’m going to be on the scales,” he said. “I can’t wait to get out there and give the fans some excitement.”
Sometime during the fight, Mayweather will have to make a choice of whether to stay safe and win from the outside, which is sure to produce a boring bout, or trade with Berto enough to create some excitement.
“I’m going to just push the limit for this fight and see what I can accomplish,” Mayweather said adding, “I just want to win and go out on top.”
Hunter has hinted there is a personal issue between Berto and Mayweather that is serving to motivate Berto.
“There’s something brewing in the air,” Hunter said. “There’s some personal stuff going on here. When you have one man that wants to punish the other and one that’s saying it’s not going to go that way, there’s going to be a rumble.”
Hunter said the key to the bout will be for Berto to “disrupt” Mayweather’s boxing IQ.
“We can’t match it,” Hunter said. “But we can disrupt it.”
Prediction
Mayweather by decision in a closer fight than expected.