Floyd Mayweather Jr., left, and Andre Berto face each other at a news conference in Los Angeles on Thursday, Aug. 6, 2015. Mayweather Promotions CEO Leonard Ellerbe is in the middle. Mayweather says Berto is a worthy opponent for the final fight of his perfect career. Three months after Mayweather dominated Manny Pacquiao in the most lucrative fight in boxing history, he began the difficult business of promoting his pay-per-view bout with Berto with a news conference in downtown Los Angeles. AP PHOTO
Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s match with Andre Berto on September 12 will definitely be his last if one of the people in his circle is to be believed.
Mayweather Promotions CEO Leonard Ellerbe confirmed this with Sky Sports on Monday (Tuesday, Manila time). The bout would put the undefeated boxing champ at par with heavyweight legend Rocky Marciano’s unprecedented 49-0 record if he comes out victorious.
Though Mayweather can still eclipse the record with another fight, Ellerbe believes this will be the 38-year-old’s final match as a professional.
“Here’s a guy who’s made well over a half-billion dollars, doing it his way, and he can ride off into the sunset after this,” he said. “That’s a fact. This is Floyd’s last fight. I’m not trying to sell it that way. This is going to be his last fight. And the fans get a chance to see Floyd in a very, very exciting fight with a guy that we know is coming to fight.”
Ellerbe also defended Mayweather’s choice of picking Berto as his opponent for the bout in Las Vegas, saying, “He’s never, ever been in a dull fight.”
READ: Mayweather on Berto: ‘Every time he goes out, he’s exciting’ | Floyd Mayweather Jr defends choice of Berto as his final foe
Pundits criticized Mayweather for choosing Berto, someone who the fans believe is an inferior choice compared to other Mayweather pursuers such as Amir Khan.
The claims are also bolstered by the 31-year-old Berto’s recent fights against Robert Guerrero and Victor Ortiz, both were emphatic losses against two opponents who Mayweather easily beat in the past.
“He’s been in two fight-of-the-year candidates, with the Ortiz fight and the Guerrero fight. We know he’s been knocked down but he gets back up and fights his heart out,” said Ellerbe. “We already know we’re going to get the best of the best from him, what he’s able to do. And one thing you do know is it is guaranteed excitement.”
“So with that, I think you’re going to see a totally different kind of Floyd, too, because Berto fights in a very aggressive, offensive manner and it kind of forces you to do other things. Floyd didn’t take a step back in the Pacquiao fight, so what makes anybody think he’s going to take a step back in this fight? And the other guy’s fighting the same kind of way.” Randolph B. Leongson/IDL