Floyd Mayweather Jr. will be closing a storied career this September as he steps in the ring for the last time; but his decision of choosing Andre Berto as his final opponent is criticized and the unbeaten champion defended his choice.
Mayweather (48–0, 26KOs) said last Thursday in the press conference for his fight against Berto that he chose the 31-year-old because he is an exciting fighter.
Before Mayweather made his announcement, top contenders like Amir Khan, Manny Pacquiao, Kell Brook, and Keith Thurman were all considered as his possible opponent for the final fight of his career.
But the 38-year-old boxing superstar chose Berto (31–3, 24KOs) who is 3–3 in his last six fights, although he is riding a two-fight winning streak entering the biggest bout of his career.
Among the contenders mentioned, Khan was believed to be the closest to fighting Mayweather, especially after his win over American contender Chris Algieri last May.
The British slugger, who is Berto's stablemate under trainer Virgil Hunter, has been linked to a fight against the Mayweather a number of times but was turned down on all occasions.
When asked why not Khan, Mayweather answered, "How many championships has Khan won, two. Berto has won two also."
Despite the fact that he is being considered as an easy fight for Mayweather, Berto said after he was chosen that there will be a knockout in the upcoming fight and it will not be him going down.
Berto also believes that he should have been given the Mayweather fight a long time ago but said everything happens for a reason.
Meanwhile, Hunter is convinced that his boxer is the only one who stood out in the division and is deserving of the opportunity given to him.
The fight between Mayweather and Berto will be on Sept. 12 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas and will be the last fight in the undefeated slugger's contract with CBS/ Showtime.
