Floyd "Money" Mayweather is the best boxer on the planet. If you didn't know, just ask him.
Muhammad Ali wasn't better. Both Sugar Rays (Robinson and Leonard) weren't better. Roberto Duran, as a lightweight, wasn't better. Mike Tyson or George Foreman, two of boxing's all-time menacing figures, weren't better. So if that's the case, you know there's no need to talk to Mayweather about any boxer from this modern-day era.
"This is my era," Mayweather has sworn on numerous occasions. "It don't matter who else you mention. So why even bother bringing them up?"
Mayweather will have a point if folks flock to pay-per-view on Saturday night to dole out $75 for his purported mismatch against Andre Berto, further validating his dominance as a box-office attraction. But based on numerous reports proclaiming lagging interest in the fight, that's not about to happen. Which means that despite the likelihood of a 49-0 record -- and easily the richest bank account in boxing history (nearly $1 billion) -- it would appear that "Money" can't buy love.
Especially when you're selling Berto as your last opponent.
Just days removed from Mayweather matching Rocky Marciano's undefeated record, the harsh reality is that, at least for the moment, no one cares. Perhaps, it's due to the belief that Berto (30-3), just 3-3 in his past six fights, is a cakewalk. And the fight, as a result, should be on free TV, which was originally contemplated by CBS/Showtime. Fresh off the Manny Pacquiao snore-fest, the plain truth is that no one's interested in feeling robbed, particularly for a second straight fight.
But here's the harsh reality: There's absolutely nothing wrong with Mayweather fighting Berto ... so long as there's another Mayweather fight on the horizon -- instead of retirement.
Plenty of champions in boxing history have had so-called tune-up fights. Knowing this, fight fans might respect Mayweather's choice to fight a tune-up if only he would stop insisting they do otherwise.
By Mayweather selling Berto as his final fight, fans are feeling cheated, knowing there were several more appealing opponents for Mayweather.
If the Pacquiao fight was made with Top Rank, wouldn't Timothy Bradley Jr. have been easier? Keith Thurman, according to fight aficionados, would've never fought in July had Mayweather wanted him for September. Danny Garcia might have needed to move up in weight, but he would've done it for this date against Mayweather and, at 31-0, he would've been more marketable than Berto.
Wait, there's more.
Nearly two years ago, when Mayweather contemplated fighting Amir Khan -- trained by the same individual (Virgil Hunter) as Berto, by the way -- the undisputed pound-for-pound king actually went on Twitter and toyed with letting fans choose his next opponent. Khan got the most votes, and Mayweather still chose Marcos Maidana. Not just once, but twice. And, of course, if Mayweather really wanted to make a splash, he could've signed to fight the knockout artist known as "GGG," Gennady Golovkin.
"That is the No. 1 fight I want," Golovkin told me a couple of weeks ago. "I'd gladly come down to 155 pounds to fight Mayweather. He's the best. I want the best."
Particularly for Mayweather's last fight.
To be fair, this is boxing we're talking about, and Berto does have a chance. There are 23 knockouts on his resume -- just three less than Mayweather with 15 fewer fights in his career.
Berto has never been accused of being boring. He's known for always coming to fight, and has both speed and punching power. Berto's three losses since 2011 don't help his cause, but he is capable of catching Mayweather, who has been hit and hurt by Maidana and "Sugar" Shane Mosley, both of whom were slower at the time than Berto is right now.
Devoid of those arguments, Mayweather never hesitates to mention how there are always complaints about his victories.
Oscar De La Hoya was supposedly beyond his prime when Mayweather beat him. Ricky Hatton was too small when Mayweather took him out in 10 rounds back in 2007. So was Juan Manuel Marquez when Mayweather beat him easily. Miguel Cotto was tough, but hardly the Cotto he is now that he's being trained by Freddie Roach. The Victor Ortiz win didn't count because Mayweather sucker-punched him, although it was in retaliation to a headbutt from Ortiz. Robert "The Ghost" Guerrero was totally meaningless, even though Mayweather schooled him without a warm-up -- fresh off a 60-day stint in jail.
Saul "Canelo" Alvarez was simply too young, despite being bigger, stronger and undefeated himself. Maidana was bigger and stronger, just slower. And then there's Pacquiao, who was smaller, supposedly faster, but hindered by a rotator cuff injury before the fight.
Allegedly.
"Somehow, when it comes to me, there's always an excuse," Mayweather said before he fought Pacquiao. "It's always that way and it'll never change because people just hate to admit that I'm the best. They just can't admit it."
Saturday night's fight won't change that reality. Not if the outcome lives up to expectations.
If Berto is dominated, folks will allude to how much Mayweather makes it rain money, lamenting his flossing tendencies and how unapologetic he is about laughing all the way to the bank. Translation: They'll feel robbed -- assuming they pay to watch the fight.
But if Mayweather wins handily, then announces that he'll have a rematch against the Cotto-Alvarez winner to close out his career, or even Pacquiao, or the lesser heralded Thurman, or an encounter with Golovkin -- where you'll have folks as fearful for Mayweather as they once were when Ali faced Foreman back in 1973 -- then all is well with the world.
Mayweather would've simply taken an easy match before a mega-fight, getting paid handsomely for it in the process.
At last check, that's the American way.
For once in boxing, that would be nice to hear from a boxer instead of a promoter.