Is Berto Going To Be A Big Draw Against Mayweather?
Is Berto Going To Be A Draw Against Mayweather?
There have been several names thrown into the hat for Floyd Mayweather’s September retirement fight, but “Money” himself named Andre Berto and Karim Mayfield, with the likes of Amir Khan and Kell Brook not getting a look in, and Gennady Golovkin almost impossible. There were a few prospective bouts that would be very marketable for different reasons. However, the matchups with the least appeal to fans were the ones that came out of Mayweather’s own mouth.
He knows his name is often enough to carry a PPV to reasonable success. Coupling it with star power at the other side of the ring would be massive – as we saw with Manny Pacquiao – but it seems the undefeated champion could be looking for the easiest way to keep his zero intact before he hangs up the gloves.
Las Vegas loves Floyd Mayweather. Every time there’s a fight announcement, you’ll see the business owners rubbing their hands together at the thought of thousands upon thousands of fight fans coming en masse to spend their money and be entertained. Alas, when news broke earlier this week about Berto most likely being the man to face him, there was a very apathetic response.
by ground.zero
That same response could lead to a change of heart, as it’s the fans’ money that brings in the revenue that he likes so much. It’s bad for the big fight capital of the world, too, as one of the rare occasions that they can drag people away from the booming online casinos and into ‘Sin City’ will probably be much quieter than usual. These big events help to fund the businesses and bricks and mortar casinos through the leaner times. In short, the bigger the crowd, the more their coffers are filled with cash.
The lack of enthusiasm extends to pay-per-view, too, where Floyd makes the lion’s share of his purse. Yes, Vegas gates are a good earner, but millions watching at home and paying for the privilege really boost the tens of millions. If he thinks his last hurrah might not give him the nest egg he wants (as if he hasn’t got enough….) then he might be prompted to change his mind.
It’s unlikely that Berto (30-3) will move the needle as he has lost three of his last six bouts, and his interim WBA world title doesn’t bring that much prestige to the table. He is a huge underdog already, so much so that it would be almost futile to even back Mayweather because of the paltry returns. Across the board, the response has been underwhelming.
To put it bluntly, Berto is not a big enough draw for a fight of this calibre. Mayweather is fuelling the critics by again picking his fights shrewdly, as he has often done, and in his last bout it would really put that stamp on his whole career. He has beaten great fighters but if he wants to go out as a fan favourite and with more money in his bank account, he’d make a change. If he just wants to keep the zero against a decent enough adversary, then that choice is his.
