Mayweather vs. Berto Projected Winner and Prize Money Purse

Floyd Mayweather Jr. is set to battle Andre Berto on Saturday night. Although it's a fight that isn't generating nearly as much hype or mainstream attention as his clash with Manny Pacquiao, "Money" is still slated to walk away with another huge payday.

Dan Rafael of ESPN.com reported Mayweather is slated to earn at least $35 million despite the negative reaction to the opponent choice. Mayweather Promotions CEO Leonard Ellerbe confirmed the total costs, including the purse, is why the bout ended up on pay-per-view instead of for free on CBS.

"In order to execute something like that you need months and months to plan that out," Ellerbe told Rafael. "We need six to seven months of lead time to make something like that possible. Ultimately, it wasn't possible."  

Berto got the nod over more formidable candidates such as Keith Thurman and Amir Khan. It's a major step in the wrong direction after finally giving the fans the long-awaited fight with Pacquiao. Of course, that fight wasn't nearly as entertaining as advertised either.

The bottom line remains: If Mayweather is fighting, a lot of people are going to watch, and he's going to earn a lot of money for 36 minutes or less of action.

That said, what makes the selection even more of a head-scratcher is the fact the undefeated American has long pointed to this fight as his last. Leading up to the bout, Ellerbe told David Mayo of MLive.com that nothing has changed in that regard.

"That's a fact. This is Floyd's last fight," Ellerbe said. "I'm not trying to sell it that way. This is going to be his last fight. And the fans get a chance to see Floyd in a very, very exciting fight with a guy that we know is coming to fight."

The fight marks a chance to match boxing legend Rocky Marciano at 49-0, but why do it in such uninspiring fashion? That's why it's so hard to believe Mayweather will simply walk away from the sport on a relative low note, even if he wins convincingly.

He's done his best to build Berto into a serious challenger, as showcased by the BBC.

"Berto is a tough competitor, a former world champion. Every time he goes out he gives it 100 percent," Mayweather said in a news conference. "He's been given backlash. I've been given backlash. But Andre Berto is going to push Floyd Mayweather to the limit."

The underdog's recent track record, which includes three losses in his past six fights, makes it difficult to believe he'll make a legitimate upset bid, though.

All told, the consistently large purses take pressure off Mayweather to pick the most appealing opponent for each of his fights. He can take on an opponent like Berto, still cash a big check and limit the amount of risk.

Expect him to control the fight from start to finish, using his defense and counterattacking ability to fend off any attacks from Berto in the latter half of the bout. The talent gap ensures an upset would be one of the biggest shockers in the sport's history.

If Mayweather wins by unanimous decision—the most likely result—the biggest question will be whether that truly marks the end of his career. He'd be leaving a lot of money on the table.