LOS ANGELES, (Reuters) – Floyd Mayweather’s latest title defense began outside the ring yesterday as he fought to validate his upcoming bout against Andre Berto.
Mayweather, coming off his victory over Manny Pacquiao in May, is gearing up for what he says will be the final fight of his career on Sept. 12 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Victory would take him to 49-0 and match the record of former heavyweight great Rocky Marciano, though Mayweather has been criticized for choosing what many consider an easy opponent for his swan song.
“I hear I’ve been getting backlash. I chose Berto because he’s exciting,” Mayweather told reporters from his podium.
“The difference between Berto and Pacquiao is you guys put all the hype in Manny. But this fight is a very intriguing matchup.”
The fight is a far cry from Mayweather’s ‘mega-fight’ clash with Pacquiao, which took five years to finalise and became the richest bout in boxing.
