Floyd Mayweather Jr. is taking heavy criticism for tabbing Andre Berto for his September 12 fight, which Mayweather has said will likely be his last. The fight marks the end of his six-fight deal with Showtime, and coming off the "Fight of the Century" vs. Manny Pacquiao, Berto is viewed as a letdown.
ESPN's Stephen A. Smith, who has a good relationship with Mayweather, said he thinks this won't be Mayweather's last bout, but rather a tune up.
"I've never believed [Mayweather was going to retire in September]. I don't believe that. I think Mayweather knows that," Smith said. "I think Mayweather is using this [fight with Berto] as a tuneup, and then he's going to give Manny Pacquiao a rematch."
Mayweather and Pacquiao shattered numerous records for the money they generated with their May 2 showdown, but left fans disappointed because Mayweather defeated Pacquiao in a one-sided affair that didn't feature much action. After the fight Pacquiao revealed he had fought with a torn labrum, and claimed the fight would be different if he was healthy.
"He thought he won the fight," Pacqiao's promoter Bob Arum said. "With both shoulders, he felt he would have won easy."
Mayweather's potential fight with Berto, which has not been finalized, may also be televised on CBS rather than his typical pay-per-view.
"It's almost one of those things where it's a tuneup, it's going to be perceived as a cake-walk in a lot of people's eyes. And he's like, 'I'm Money Mayweather, I'm giving you me on free TV. You don't have to pay for it at all. It's a tuneup similar to what Manny Pacquiao did to Chris Algieri. And then I'm going to come out of retirement and I'll fight a Manny Pacquiao, or a Miguel Cotto if Cotto is lucky enough to beat Canelo Alvarez,'" Smith said.
Berto is a former champion himself, but he has gone just 3-3 in his last six fights, and lost to two former Mayweather opponents, Victor Ortiz and Robert Guerrero.
[Yahoo]
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