Fans should boycott the Floyd Mayweather versus Andre Berto fight

Mayweather (48-0, 26 KOs) will face Berto(30-3, 23 KOs) on September 12 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Berto has won two consecutive matches since receiving a beating from Jesus Soto Karass in July 2013.

“I’m coming to kick Floyd’s ass on September 12,” said Berto, 31, a native Floridian who is trained by Virgil Hill. “Best believe that I plan to bring it to Floyd and I’m not concerned about what 48 other fighters have been unable to do. Somebody is getting knocked out and it won’t be me. You don’t want to miss this.”

In stark contrast to the unexceptional Berto, Mayweather has been the sport’s pound-for-pound king for nearly a decade. Mayweather most recently vacated the squared circle on May 2 after easily outscoring Manny Pacquiao by counts of 116-112, 116-112 and 118-110. “Money Mayweather” pocketed in excess of $200 for his lackluster waltz versus the 36-year-old Pacquiao (57-6-2, 38 KOs).

“I’m ready to get back in the ring on September 12 and prove again to the whole world why I’m ‘The Best Ever,’” said Mayweather, 38, who last lost as a 19-year-old to Bulgarian Serafim Todorov in the semifinals of the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. “I always bring my A-game and this fight against Andre Berto is no exception. He’s a young, strong fighter who is hungry to take down the best. 48 have tried before and on September 12, I’m going to make it 49.”

The 5-foot-8 Mayweather hasn’t cleanly knocked out an opponent since Ricky Hatton in December 2007 and the 5-foot-6 Berto can absorb a decent punch. Predictably, there is a widespread belief that Mayweather will coast to a unanimous decision victory over Berto.

Mayweather is reportedly valued at $260 million and he has been declared Forbes’ highest-paid athlete twice in the past three years. Considering the valid perception that Berto is an unqualified challenger, Mayweather should have agreed to perform on free TV this Mexican Independence Day weekend. A match on CBS would have compensated for the Pacquiao fiasco and served as a shrewd public relations maneuver by Mayweather. Rather than accepting a smaller payday to outclass Berto in front of an appreciative audience, Mayweather again proved to be disgustingly piggish.

While Floyd Mayweather inevitably triumphs over Andre Berto on the cards to “make it 49,” fans should boycott this sham of an event