Floyd Mayweather vs. Andre Berto might not be so bad

In the case of The People v. Floyd Mayweather and Andre Berto, held this week in the court of public opinion, it hasn’t even been close.
One by one, the jabbing blows of criticism have piled up without much in the way of contradiction, seeming to amass a mountain of evidence that Saturday night’s welterweight contest at the MGM Grand Garden Arena will be a sham and not a show.

The theory is consistent: Berto is no match for pound-for-pound champion Mayweather, and the whole thing is a waste of time and pay-per-view money.
But boxing, for all its contradictions and frustrating obsession with politics and business over entertainment, is nothing if not capable of bouncing off the canvas just at the moment when it finds itself under greatest threat.
Mayweather may be at his most content when thumbing through vast wads of cash and living up to his “Money” persona. Yet while he gives a good impression of caring nothing for the sensitivities and satisfaction level of those who purchase his fights, that apathy is something of a front.

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After the mother of all letdowns the last time he fought, when the so-called “Fight of the Century” against Manny Pacquiao ended in a disappointing and routine victory in which Mayweather did what was necessary to win a points decision, it is no surprise that this time expectations have been scaled back.

Yet don’t be shocked if the gloomy predictions for the bout turn out to have been overplayed. Mayweather is capable of providing exciting, all-action fights. He has done it before. He just hasn’t done it lately because, well, no one has forced him to, and pocketing easy millions with almost total reliance on defensive mastery and silky footwork has been the smart, low-risk play.
There have been glimpses though, to show that when he feels there is something in it for him, Mayweather can be persuaded to come out of his shell and trade blows in the kind of flurries fight fans want to see.
It happened in 2012 against Miguel Cotto, an outstanding showdown that Mayweather won by a unanimous decision that was closer than the judges gave it. Round after round, Mayweather stood in the pocket and traded punishing blows with Cotto, and it made for compelling viewing that left the boxing public wanting more.

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There was, of course, a payoff at the end of it, too. Coming off that win, Mayweather’s star could scarcely have been higher. But the impression given was that as he aged and perhaps slowed marginally, there would more fights like the one with Cotto, with less ducking and weaving and more brutal exchanges to follow.

Soon after, a blockbuster deal with Showtime was announced that guaranteed Mayweather $250 million over six fights, the sixth of which will be against Berto (30-3), who was handily beaten by Mayweather victims Victor Ortiz and Robert Guerrero and is a 30-to-1 underdog.
A more aggressive Mayweather was also spotted in his first meeting with Marcos Maidana in 2014. Coming off a dull decision where he picked apart Saul Alvarez, and against an opponent who was not considered to be a meaningful challenge, Mayweather was content to brawl with Maidana for stretches and the fight remains one of his most enjoyable in recent memory.
Could it be the same this time?
“Don’t be fooled,” Berto’s trainer Virgil Hunter said. “A lot of people are going to be surprised. You are going to see a fight.”

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As for what kind of fight, that largely depends on Mayweather and his willingness to engage.
The Berto fight has been universally panned and is set for a major letdown both on pay-per-view and at the box office, while fight week was rocked further by a rebutted report that Mayweather improperly used an intravenous infusion before he beat Pacquiao.
If ever Mayweather could use a crowd-pleasing performance it is now.
“People can say whatever they want,” Mayweather said. “If they don’t want to buy it, don’t buy it. But they will be missing out.”

If, as Mayweather would have us believe, this is the last time he will enter the ring, then he would surely want to go out on a high note. If not, then it can be safely suggested that a swashbuckling performance would be needed to pique the interest for his next bout, assuming there is a next time, as most people expect.
Given all the flak the fight has taken, if fans end up leaving Saturday’s contest talking about it for anything other than another blowout, or another letdown, or another excuse for people to find something better to do with their money, it will have been an impressive comeback indeed.
It is a bad match-up, it has been a bad promotion, and those involved have done a bad job at getting people interested. But a bad fight? Not necessarily.