Mayweather vs. Berto Fight Time, Expected Prize Money, Projected Winner, Odds

Floyd Mayweather Jr. is taking it rather easy in the final boxing match of his career. "Money" is a prohibitive favorite to cash in on a perfect 49-0 record when he takes on Andre Berto on Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

The bout takes place at 8 p.m. ET on Showtime, and this might as well be a coronation ceremony for Mayweather if the oddsmakers' projections are any indication. Odds Shark lists Mayweather as the prohibitive favorite at minus-3500, while Berto is plus-1200. ESPN.com's Dan Rafael reported the purse for Mayweather is expected to be "at least" $35 million.

Berto has a 30-3 record, with 23 of his victories coming by way of knockout. That goes to show the type of punching power he can pack, yet he's being almost completely written off. This is probably due to the right shoulder surgery Berto underwent in August 2013, which robbed him of some punching force.

It's nevertheless going to be an interesting battle as Mayweather looks to utilize his masterful technique and uncanny counterpunching ability to get the job done. Well, interesting to see how fast Berto wears down without his prior pop—though it is encouraging that Berto notched a TKO triumph in his last fight with Josesito Lopez.

Fans may nevertheless be disappointed with the entertainment level of the fight should Mayweather be conservative and try to wear Berto down. That probably won't bother Mayweather as he gets to preserve his unblemished mark in the ring and ride into retirement on a high note, likely on a unanimous decision.

If Mayweather had really wanted a greater challenge, he would have chosen a higher caliber of opponent. That's not to say Berto is a slouch as a two-time welterweight champion—just that outsiders were hoping for something more, thanks to how underwhelming Mayweather's showdown with Manny Pacquiao was.

The Pacquiao fight, though successful in revenue and in bolstering Mayweather's win total, was anticlimactic and certainly didn't live up to the "Fight of the Century" billing it deserved to garner prior to the clash.

Mayweather touched on that while speaking to Showtime's Jim Gray:

A big storyline surrounding the Mayweather finale is how he will match Rocky Marciano in terms of overall record with a victory. Mayweather can't be considered in that class considering how much of a step down this Berto fight is, especially with an eager challenger like Amir Khan going public with his intense desire to battle Mayweather, per Sky Sports News HQ.

It's hard to argue with how Mayweather smashes pay-per-view records and ultimately delivers results when he steps into the ring. What will be long-debated is his legacy among the all-time greats. A loss to Berto would damage Mayweather's legacy immensely, but that won't happen, in the opinion of yours truly and just about anyone else with any stake in this Sept. 12 fight.

Some may consider Mayweather the best pound-for-pound fighter of his era. Whether he is truly regarded among the very best is up for far more debate—and it has to do with the consistent questions about whom he's fought, with Berto being the latest suspicious adversary Money has chosen to engage with.