Opinion: In Defense of Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Andre Berto

Wait, you didn’t think this was going to be my defense for this sham of a fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Andre Berto, did you? Well, if you did, that’s unfortunate.

I wrote this in response to some of the many nonsensical attempts being made to portray the Sept. 12 fight as anything but a joke. Rather than rip this pay-per-view matchup to shreds, it made more sense to address the numerous defenses of Mayweather that appeared on social media shortly after the fight was announced:

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Take One: Hasn’t he earned the right to fight whoever he wants after facing Manny Pacquiao?
Response: No. Although I’m trying to wrap my head around the context of this defense, it will never make any sense to me. When you’re the best athlete or team, you don’t get to pick what pitcher you will swing a bat against the next time you’re at the plate. That’s simply not a luxury that should be ever afforded to those that call themselves the best. Steel sharpens steel, but Mayweather has selected a lumbering piece of dry-rotted wood. Berto is a shell of his former self, even if his former self resembled little more than a miniature version of Jeff Lacy. Why should we allow Mayweather to charge any amount on pay-per-view for a sham of a fight? It’s exasperating to see a fighter who often gets wrongfully accused of ducking the best fighters he can possibly face blatantly do that for what he says will be his final boxing match. Is there any reason why the best athlete in any sport should get a pass to take on his choice of weak competition? Absolutely not.

Take Two: What did you say when Manny Pacquiao fought Chris Algieri?
Response: I called bulls---- on that fight, as well. However, at the very least, Algieri had proven himself by beating Ruslan Provodnikov. Who has Berto beaten to deserve this fight: Josesito Lopez and Steve Upsher Chambers? Meanwhile, Berto has been knocked out by Jesus Soto Karass while dropping decisions to Robert Guerrero and Victor Ortiz -- two fighters Mayweather defeated handily. From a competitive standpoint, this makes no sense. He’s not even ranked in the Ring Magazine top 10. To make matters worse, anyone with eyes can see that he’s not ready for this kind of step up in competition. The biggest names on his resume are Lopez and Luis Collazo.

Take Three: What about the bums Ronda Rousey fights?
Response: Somebody really asked this, as if Rousey was in sole control of her destiny. She has fought whoever the Ultimate Fighting Championship has put in front of her, and even then, the women she has fought had earned their title shot. It’s not her fault she mows them down like grass in the front yard; and she’s certainly not looking to face someone who isn’t even ranked. As for Mayweather, there are plenty of options. He just doesn’t see the risk-versus-reward to challenge a Keith Thurman, Shawn Porter, Kell Brook or Amir Khan. Why? I don’t know.

Take Four: We were just going to complain about who he fights anyway?
Response: People who hate Mayweather are definitely going to complain about his choice of opponent. They openly complain about his style, lack of knockout power, personality and whatever else they feel like criticizing. Who cares? There are legions of fans who want to see the top pound-for-pound boxer of this era prove he’s worthy of being installed into the conversation with the likes of Sugar Ray Leonard, Sugar Ray Robinson, Henry Armstrong, Roberto Duran and others. Fighting Berto doesn’t help support his case.

Take Five: Floyd Mayweather’s legacy is already secure, so he can’t hurt it.
Response: This is absolutely false. Mayweather’s legacy is 100 percent not secure. Even though he easily proved he was better than the perceived biggest threat to his undefeated record when he beat Pacquiao, it doesn’t mean that his standing among the greatest boxers of all-time is set in stone. Although there isn’t an opponent he could face today that would drastically improve his position on the fictional pound-for-pound list, there is a way that he can hurt himself among boxing fans and critics. Hand selecting Berto should be viewed as the easiest way out, and Mayweather will be criticized for it. If Mayweather cares about being the greatest boxer of all-time, he should only face the most significant challenges out there. While he’ll always be viewed as the favorite, it would have kept the skeptics at bay if he had opted for a more deserving fighter such as Thurman or Khan rather than a glorified sparring session with Berto. It’s difficult for even the biggest Mayweather fan to justify this fight.

The only question left is whether Mayweather can convince people to pay $60 for the pay-per-view. Will you be watching?

Andreas Hale is a content producer for Jay Z's LifeandTimes.com and editor-in-chief of PremierWuzHere.com, as well as a frequent Sherdog.com columnist. Check out his archive here.