Mayweather vs. Berto: Why Floyd Shouldn't Retire After Welterweight Bout
On Saturday, Floyd Mayweather will enter the ring for the final time, putting his undefeated record on the line in a welterweight bout against Andre Berto. If he wins, he'll equal Rocky Marciano's record of 49 wins with no losses and retire as the undefeated champion.
While there are those who question whether he'll actually call it a career, including his own father, per worldboxingnews.net (h/t Sky Sports), the 38-year-old has made his decision clear whenever he was asked:
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It's not easy walking away from something you love doing, and in the past, we've seen too many top fighters go on for far too long, blemishing their careers and damaging their bodies beyond repair in the process. Money's decision to quit now is commendable, and yet, Saturday's fight shouldn't be the last time we see the defensive mastermind do his thing in the ring.
His upcoming bout with Berto has been questioned by some and openly ridiculed by others, with Forbes' Josh Katzowitz calling the decision to fight Berto “terribly discouraging” and ESPN's Todd Grisham balking at the PPV price:
Berto is not a bad fighter―he's just not the hot prospect he was years ago, before his loss against Victor Ortiz. He's lost three of his last six bouts, and wins over Steve Upsher Chambers and Josesito Lopez shouldn't normally hand you a shot at the title.
Mayweather has earned the right to go out on his own terms, but for the sake of his legacy, he should reconsider his decision to retire after Saturday. He only needs to look at Marciano, the man whose record he's set to match, to see what perception can do to a fighter's legacy.
Marciano is infrequently mentioned among the greatest fighters of all time, despite his accomplishments, because he never faced a top fighter. He doesn't have that one standout moment, that fight that defines one's career on his resume.
Fans remember those magical nights and the men who were a part of it. Arturo Gatti will always be remembered for his legendary three fights with Micky Ward, for instance―far more than his loss against Money, his ugly showing against Carlos Baldomir and his final bout against Alfonso Gomez.
Sugar Ray Leonard is remembered because of Roberto Duran, Manny Pacquiao had his epic battles with Juan Manuel Marquez. Mayweather never had the opportunity to be involved in fights like that, partly because of his sheer dominance and fighting style, so instead, fans will turn to other things: his record and their final memories of Money in the ring.
It seems the latter will be an unfancied, unwanted bout against Berto. As shared by ESPN's Dan Rafael, Mayweather claims it doesn't matter who he would have picked, as people would have found a way to tear down the proposed fight:
Is that really the case, though? Imagine if his final fight was against a younger, faster prospect people actually believed had a chance of ending his reign of terror. Someone like Keith Thurman, or Amir Khan. Imagine how people would respond if Money did the impossible and gave the terrifying Gennady Golovkin a shot.
That would be a memory to cherish. Even a rematch with eternal rival Pacquiao, who immediately brought up a shoulder injury after his unanimous-decision loss against Mayweather―per CNN―would be the kind of story people remembered.
Mayweather has the chance to go out on a high, breaking Marciano's record by recording his 50th win against a marquee opponent, someone the world will remember as the final real challenge for the greatest fighter of our generation.
Perhaps Money doesn't care about his legacy. The man has won titles across five divisions and has nothing left to prove, and if he walks away on Saturday, he'll be rightly praised for a great career.
But one more win over a top opponent could change the way we remember Mayweather forever.
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