Mayweather vs Berto (Photo : MGM Grand Arena)
For his last professional fight against Haitian boxer Andre Berto, unbeaten American boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. has a guaranteed purse of at least $35 million. However, he is not expected to pocket another $300 million like his May 2 bout against Manny Pacquiao.
The numbers are not in Mayweather's favor for Saturday, Sept. 12, with only one-third of the 400 million who subscribed to pay-per-view for the "Fight of the Century" are buying on Saturday. That would drastically affect Mayweather's PPV share.
According to Bleacherreport, Mayweather is the heavy favorite among bettors to win the match at minus 3500, while Berto is plus 1200.
While Berto is boasting that he is younger than Mayweather, who is 38, the Haitian boxer with a 30-3 record - like Pacquiao - had a right shoulder surgery in August 2013 which could have reduced his punching force.
Although the two boxers claim to be better prepared compared to Mayweather's May 2 bout, boxing fans are shying away even if the most expensive ticket at MGM Grand Arena is only $1,500, while the May 2 match was priced at $10,000. The Telegraph reports that the only tickets that are about to be sold out are the upper level at $123.
Mayweather is still expected to win the match, thanks to referee Kenny Bayless who will again be referee on Saturday. Bayless is viewed as pro Mayweather.
Berto, despite three losses during his last six bouts, said, "I'm going to bring a combination of speed and power to the table and I believe I have better athletic ability than Mayweather's previous opponents."
However, another referee, Joe Cortez, does not believe it would be Mayweather's last fight. He thinks 50 would be a good number to market, which could even give "Money May" a guaranteed purse of $50 million, reports Sportworldnews.
