Mayweather snubs Amir Khan, names Berto as September foe
Floyd 'Money' Mayweather (48-0) will put his unbeaten record on the line when he steps into the ring to face Andre Berto in Las Vegas on Sept. 12 in what could be the final fight of his career, it was announced on Tuesday.
Mayweather, who beat Manny Pacquiao in May in what was billed as the 'Fight of the Century', will risk his WBC and WBA welterweight world titles against the power-punching, two-time welterweight world champion Berto (30-3) at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
In making the fight, Mayweather snubbed Britain's Amir Khan, 31-3 with 19 knockouts. The Bolton battler has won his past five fights.
A victory for Mayweather would match the record of the late heavyweight champion Rocky Marciano, who retired in April 1956 with an unblemished record of 49-0.
"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 the 38-year-old Mayweather.
"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. Forty-eight have tried before and on September 12, I'm going to make it 49."
In what Mayweather claims might be his final fight, and what is the last bout on his rich six-fight Showtime television deal, the reigning World Boxing Association and World Boxing Council champion will risk his crowns against a two-time world champion who has lost three of his past six fights.
Berto, 30-3 with 23 knockouts, intends to flip the script on Mayweather, whose 48-0 record includes 26 knockouts.
"I'm coming to kick Floyd's ass," Berto said. "Best believe 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."
Mayweather comes in off his unanimous decision victory over Filipino icon Manny Pacquiao last May and with a goal to equal the 49-0 of the late heavyweight champion Marciano, who retired in 1956 with one of boxing's most hallowed marks.
Mayweather, 38, has won 12 world titles over five weight divisions. He has defeated 22 world champions in his career and has been the world's highest-paid athlete under the TV deal he signed in 2013.
Berto, 31, was a 2004 Haitian Olympian. He won the WBC welterweight crown in 2008 and defended it five times before losing it in 2011 to American Victor Ortiz, only to claim the International Boxing Federational version of the crown later the same year by stopping Slovenian Jan Zaveck.
But Berto lost his next two fights, to American Robert Guerrero by unanimous decision and Mexico's Jesus Soto by 12th round knockout.
The match will be the sixth and final fight of a record-breaking deal between Mayweather and Showtime Networks, leading to speculation it could be the farewell match for the American.
A world champion in five divisions, Mayweather made a reported $220 million from his unanimous decision over Pacquiao in what the most lucrative fight ever staged generating close to $600 million in revenue.
Two other world championship fights are also planned for the pay-per-view telecast.
Roman 'Rocky' Martinez (29-2-2) will risk his WBO junior lightweight title in a rematch against the boxer he dethroned, four-time world champion Orlando 'Siri' Salido (42-13-2).
Badou Jack 'The Ripper' (19-1-1) will make the first defense of his WBC super middleweight title against mandatory challenger 'Saint' George Groves (21-2, 16 KOs).