Andre Berto is the fall guy for pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather’s reportedly final fight, an opponent regarded as game but not having the quality to deviate from the script.
Outsider
Berto is a huge underdog for Saturday’s showdown against the unbeaten Mayweather, who will match the 49-0 record of heavyweight Rocky Marciano if — as expected — he retains his welterweight world titles in Las Vegas. Few give Berto, a former two-time title holder, much of a chance in what would be one of the greatest upsets in boxing history if he stops Mayweather.
Confident
“I’m the best shape I’ve ever been in,” said a relaxed-sounding Berto (30-3, 23 KOs), vowing to go after the “crafty” and defensively brilliant Mayweather.
“I’m going to bring a combination of speed and power to the table, and I believe I have better athletic ability. I’m a young and hungry fighter coming in, and if I can take that (crown) away from him, that’d be huge. That’s my mindset.”
Roller coaster
Berto, who turned 32 on Monday, is emerging from an ugly chapter in what was a promising career. He tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs in 2012, had shoulder surgery in 2013 that left him fearing for his career and is on a run of three defeats in his past six fights.
Focused
Berto says being the man to tear up the history books is all the inspiration he needs. “Those critics aren’t there in the ring with us, they’re not in the gym,” he said. “I don’t get affected by the critics.”
Anger
Mayweather (48-0, 26 KOs) had the pick of the welterweight division, but he infuriated fans in choosing Berto, whom says he is hungrier and better than ever after a troubled three years. He refuses to say what the personal issues were and is coy on his injury problems, but his trainer Virgil Hunter says Berto’s losses had more to do with his health than lack of talent. Berto, who will reportedly pocket US$3 million (Dh11m) from the bout, did not box for more than a year because of his shoulder and Hunter says the comeback from that is still not quite complete.
Tragedy
Berto was born in the United States but identifies heavily with Haiti, where his family are from, and reportedly was traumatised by the 2010 earthquake that killed more than 250,000 people and shattered much of the impoverished country’s infrastructure. Berto is believed to have lost friends and family in the quake and he put boxing to one side to help in the painstaking recovery. He also founded the Berto Dynasty Foundation, whose work includes raising money for Haiti’s needy.
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