Floyd Mayweather's Blueprint to Knocking out Andre Berto in Last Fight

Floyd "Money" Mayweather will meet Andre "The Beast" Berto on Sept. 12 in what he insists will be his final professional fight, and if he intends to go out with a bang, then Mayweather may have chosen the ideal opponent.

Mayweather is a perfect 48-0, and there are very few who believe Berto will be the first one to blemish his record. A Mayweather victory seems like a foregone conclusion considering how handily he defeated Manny Pacquiao, so the biggest question relates to how the fight will end.

While the 38-year-old favorite has underrated power and scored plenty of knockout wins in the early part of his career, he has relied far more on systematically picking apart his opponents and winning on the scorecards in recent years.

Each of Mayweather's past six fights have ended via decision, and his knockouts of Victor Ortiz and Ricky Hatton are the only two such finishes in his last 13 bouts.

That could change on Sept. 12 considering Berto's aggressiveness and the overall talent gap between the two combatants. Many have complained about Mayweather's choice of opponent since there is nothing to suggest that Berto can or will push Mayweather to the limit.

Cliff Rold of BoxingScene.com believes this is Mayweather's biggest mismatch in nearly a decade:

Chris Mannix of SI.com agrees with Rold's assessment since Mayweather likely could have taken on bigger challenges against the likes of Amir Khan, Shawn Porter or Keith Thurman:

At the same time, it is tough to blame Mayweather for his choice if this is indeed his final fight. There is little incentive to take a risk, and Berto seems like an opponent who he can control, dominate and perhaps even send to the canvas.

Berto, who has 23 victories by way of knockout among his 30 wins, doesn't have much to lose. Beating Mayweather would launch him into superstar territory, and he fully intends to take the fight to his heavily favored opponent, according to ESPN.com's Dan Rafael.

"I'm coming to kick Floyd's ass on Sept. 12," Berto said. "Best believe that 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. You don't want to miss this."

Per Rafael, Mayweather Promotions CEO Leonard Ellerbe is unconcerned about Berto potentially chasing a knockout against Mayweather:

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We know Berto is coming in looking to knock Floyd's head off. Floyd just has to be prepared. We know Berto is very motivated. He's had ups and downs in his career, but he has been able to bounce back and show the fans he's never in a dull fight. Berto is coming with the mentality of 'I'm gonna get him or he's gonna get me.'

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Ellerbe also seems to believe that this contest won't necessarily go the entire 12 rounds based on the boxers' respective mentalities:

Berto has lost three times in his past six fights, and two of them have come against past Mayweather opponents in the form of Ortiz and Robert Guerrero. Berto also lost once via knockout when Jesus Soto Karass took him down in the 12th round two years ago.

Since Berto doesn't stand a chance at beating Mayweather on the scorecards, one can only assume that he'll turn the boxing match into a street fight in hopes of catching Mayweather with a big shot. 

That may represent Berto's best opportunity to win, but it will also leave him susceptible to Mayweather's elite counterpunching. Mayweather normally uses that asset to rack up points with the judges, but he should have his fair share of chances to stop Berto if he so chooses.

While there is no guarantee that Mayweather will go for a knockout considering how effective his usual strategy is, it will be there for the taking provided he remains patient and doesn't attempt to brawl with Berto.

The finish of the fight is essentially in Mayweather's hands, and depending upon how he feels on the night of Sept. 12, he could very well put at exclamation point on the end of his storied career.

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