On the evening of September 12, 2015, Floyd “Money” Mayweather will look to make history and match the legendary boxing champion Rocky Marciano’s all-time record of 49-0. In what is promised to be his last fight, the 48-0, five-division world champion, who is also rated as the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world, is set to face off against the 30-3 Andre Berto.
Mayweather’s scheduled bout with Berto hasn’t received nearly as much hype as “the fight of the century”, which turned out to be a disappointment when Floyd took on former eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao last May. It would be bold to predict that Berto will pull off the upset in tonight’s matchup, but the two-time welterweight champion has a recipe for disaster and may do something that 48 other fighters before him could not. Meanwhile, at the MGM Grand, where Saturday night’s fight will take place, the sports book lists the undefeated champion as a staggering 30-1 favorite.
If Berto wants any chance of downing the undefeated champ his feet will have to show up to the fight. He has the hand speed and power to damage Mayweather but if his footwork isn’t up to par it will be difficult for Berto to get inside on a very defensive Mayweather. Floyd is one of the most tactical fighters in the sport and is the best at beating his opponents to the punch. Berto must move forward and utilize feints to get Mayweather to roll into his punches.
Throughout undefeated champion’s career, Mayweather has been no stranger to controversy in or outside of the ring. Some of the controversy Mayweather has faced from critics is referee Kenny Bayless protecting him from any punishment. Bayless seems to preserve the champ’s stamina and offset the tempo of Mayweather’s opponents.
Styles make fights. Berto is 3-3 in his last six bouts and took quite a beating from Victor Ortiz and Robert Guerrero, two fighters who were convincingly defeated by Mayweather. It will be interesting to see if the price Berto has paid with his “keep coming forward” style of fighting will make him vulnerable to a knockout Saturday night.
Some say that Berto’s style could be key to do what no other fighter has and defeat the 48-0 champ. Mayweather has stated that he wanted win number 49 to also be a memorable knockout number 27. Tonight, both fighters will have the opportunity to make history, but only one will prevail.