Mayweather vs. Berto Undercard: Schedule, Top Storylines Ahead of Main Event
On Saturday, Floyd Mayweather will step into a boxing ring for likely the very last time. His fight against Andre Berto has been roundly criticized as a gimme, one ill-fitting for the final bout for one of the greatest boxers in history. On the other hand, promoters have gone all-in to ensure a well-rounded card—even if Mayweather-Berto isn't quite Mayweather-Pacquiao II.
WBO junior lightweight champion Roman "Rocky" Martinez will be putting his title on the line against Orlando Salido in a rematch of their April thriller. Martinez won via unanimous decision, taking Salido's WBO super featherweight strap in the process. Also putting a belt on the line will be super middleweight Badou Jack, who will be defending his WBC strap against George Groves.
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In the other announced bout, Ishe Smith will face Vanes Martirosyan in what could be a huge bout for the latter. Martirosyan has been establishing himself as a contender, so a win over the Mayweather-favored Smith would go a long way to getting him into the title picture.
With that in mind, here's a look at the major storylines for the Mayweather-Berto undercard.
| Matchup | Weight Class | Odds |
| Roman Martinez vs. Orlando Salido | Super Featherweight | Martinez (7-4); Salido (4-9) |
| Badou Jack vs. George Groves | Super Middleweight | Jack (6-5); Groves (4-7) |
| Floyd Mayweather vs. Andre Berto | Welterweight | Mayweather (1-500); Berto (14-1) |
Will Salido-Martinez Live Up to Their First Fight?
In April, Salido and Martinez turned in one of the most vicious 12-round decisions you'll see all year. The two fighters traded punches and near-knockouts from almost the opening bell, aggressively coming out of the gate as a raucous Puerto Rican crowd cheered on.
Martinez knocked Salido down in Rounds 2 and 5, giving himself a sizable advantage early that ultimately carried him to a unanimous-decision win. Salido nonetheless fought valiantly and even flipped the script in the latter rounds, at times looking as if he'd score a knockout. An 11th-round point deduction ultimately wound up sealing the fight for Martinez.
"We are ready and working hard to make sure this title remains in Puerto Rico," Martinez said last month, per Dan Rafael of ESPN. "Everyone saw the first fight against Orlando Salido, and I know that this second bout will also be a war. Once again we have the rivalry between Puerto Rico and Mexico, which guarantees plenty of action."
This time, the script will be flipped. Salido will likely carry a majority of the crowd support during the Mexican Independence Day holiday, contrasting with the heavy pro-Martinez crowd of the first fight. Puerto Rican and Mexican fighters have a long history of going head-to-head, and Salido made clear he was fighting for his country:
"I'm excited for the rematch with Rocky Martinez. The first fight in Puerto Rico did not go my way. I got off to a slow start and had to fight two fights -- one against the referee and one against Rocky Martinez. On Sept. 12, I am going to take matters into my own hands and look to knock out Rocky to get my world title belt back. Mexico and Puerto Rico have had a great rivalry over the years, and this September you will see me bring the belt home to Mexico, where it belongs.
"
Sequels are not often better than their predecessor. We'll have to see if Salido-Martinez can be the exception that proves the rule.
Can George Groves Become World Champion?
For Groves, he'll need his third attempt at becoming a world champion to be the charm. The power-punching Brit had his opportunities against Carl Froch in 2013 and 2014, walking away with a TKO loss each time. Both fights were crowd pleasers, with Froch and Groves trading massive blows before the former ultimately took control.
Those two bouts ultimately led to Froch's retirement, with Groves now getting an opportunity to take down the man who now sits atop the super middleweight division. Jack, a 31-year-old Swede, has reeled off three straight wins since his lone professional loss against Derek Edwards, including a majority decision over Anthony Dirrell for the WBC strap in April.
"Badou Jack isn't 'Bad' enough to halt my dream," Groves said, per ESPN.com. "His WBC belt is all that is on my mind each and every waking moment. We have studied Jack. We are prepared for his strengths and ready to expose his weaknesses. Vegas is my second home and I can't wait to come back with a bang."
Groves' recovery from the Froch losses has been impressive. He defeated Christopher Rebrasse via unanimous decision last September and then knocked out Denis Douglin two months later. The quick-strike nature of those bouts allowed him to take an extended period off, so he should be more than refreshed heading into the bout.
That said, if he fails, it'll be interesting to see if Groves begins carrying a choker moniker.
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