Mayweather vs. Berto Rematch: Pros and Cons of Money vs. the Beast 2

Floyd Mayweather Jr. defeated Andre Berto by unanimous decision, 120-108, 118-110, 117-111, Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena to improve to 49-0 lifetime, but he appears ready to step away from the ring for good. 

"You have to know when to hang it up," Mayweather said following the win, according to ESPN.com's Brian Campbell. "It's my time to hang it up. ... Nothing else for me to prove in the sport of boxing."

But as we know, boxers are fully capable of regaining the competitive spark following time away from the sport. So with that framework in mind, it's time to explore two potential moves Money can make. 

While he can simply retire on top, the pound-for-pound champion could also opt to spurn those plans and pass Marciano with a 50th win.

The question is, how viable would a rematch with Berto be if he chooses to try to cap off his career with victory No. 50? 

Pros

While Mayweather has the chance to retire on his terms after defeating Berto and tying Marciano's 49-0 career mark, it's easy to be enticed by the possibility of a 50th victory. 

And if we look to the past, Mayweather could conceivably make a return to the ring if he seeks to cap off his historic resume with one more triumph. 

Here's what Mayweather Sr. told Boxing Insider regarding Money's quest to potentially break Marciano's record during an April interview with William Holmes: 

"

I think he might do it, but myself personally I don’t care if he tries to beat Rocky Marciano’s record or not. I just want him to get out safe. He went in great...come out great. I don’t know whether he can do that sometimes, sometimes people got to look at things...he’s grossed more money than any athlete has ever grossed, it’s something to look at. It wasn’t you thinking about that next fight…sometimes that last fight will catch you up. Sometimes greed overcomes common sense.

"

Berto evidently isn't the strongest or most compelling opponent for Mayweather at this stage in his career, though. Saturday night's loser has now dropped four of his last seven bouts, including three of his last five. 

There will assuredly be gripes galore should Mayweather and Berto ink a deal for a rematch given how much of a snoozer Saturday night was, but one final shot to watch the undefeated pound-for-pound king make history could be too good to pass up. 

Cons

It's just a major tactical mismatch, and that's not likely to change. Berto has never been the shrewdest operator, and his most redeeming quality—power punching—has been decimated following 2013 shoulder surgery.

The final numbers from Saturday's fight tell the whole story, per Showtime Stats on Twitter:

And if a stray haymaker is the only shot Berto has of throwing Mayweather for a loop, the undefeated champ won't gain anything by waltzing his way to a 50th victory. 

Instead, he's be better off trying to hit that esteemed mark against a boxer of a higher caliber. 

His peers agree. 

"I think he is [becoming bad for boxing]," Amir Khan said in July, according to the Daily Mail's David Wood. "I've always asked, why finish your career on a low note? People want to see him finish his career on a high, fighting the guys people want to see him fight."

Considering Khan, Shawn Porter and Keith Thurman were all viewed as more enticing contenders to square off against Mayweather before he signed up to trade blows with Berto, Money could have options if he decides to come back for a 50th fight.  

Conclusion

Mayweather can set himself up for a cakewalk with a shot to pass Marciano, but that would be a disservice to boxing fans. 

If—and it's evidently a major if at this point—Mayweather decides he wants to take a crack at the half-century mark, he'd be better off drawing eyeballs in the form of a fight with a more polished boxer such as Khan.

In fact, Khan publicly campaigned for a showdown against Money over the summer. 

"Floyd is clearly avoiding me; that's the fight I want, I've proved myself in the welterweight division, so I don't know what more to do," Khan said, per the Daily Mail's Matt Woosnam.

However, Mayweather's camp didn't fulfill Khan's desire as it settled on the less prolific and less threatening Berto.     

And if the Khan fight is out of the question, Mayweather may be better off staying retired.

Berto was an inferior challenger throughout Saturday's fight, and a rematch would only lead the boxing community to heap more criticism on Mayweather's undefeated shoulders. 

Considering intrigue didn't exactly abound prior to the first edition, a carbon copy of the Mayweather victory lap simply wouldn't be good for the sport.