Andre Berto (30-3, 23 KO’s) is cocked and ready for action as he approaches the biggest fight of his life against Floyd Mayweather Jr (48-0, 26 KO’s) for WBC and WBA Super World welterweight titles at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The WBA interim champ was picked out of a very talented line up alongside guys like WBA regular champ Keith Thurman, Amir Khan and Shawn Porter, leading a wave of debate to sweep over social media regarding his eligibility for this esteemed position.
Speaking to Fight Hype, Berto says the matter is straightforward.
“A lot of people ask why. Why not?”
As a two-time champion Berto has comparable achievements and similar record to his gym mate Khan, but his recent form of 3-3 since 2011 doesn’t appear to be form on which to launch a challenge to Floyd. Thurman, Porter and even IBF champ Kell Brook would likely have been better received as opponents for September 12th.
None of that was plaguing his thoughts though. He looked calm and determined as he answered questions and dismissed the negativity as an unavoidable consequence of the situation he now finds himself in.
“Focused man, focused and we dialed in that’s it. That’s the only think that matters.”
“It don’t matter if it’s me, if it’s Amir Khan or anyone else out here, they have a lot of shit to say.”
And he claims to be just five pounds over the welterweight limit five weeks out from the fight. Physically he is ready, and he believes he has the attributes to make this an even contest.
“I’m about 152 right now look at this [giving the camera a brief glimpse of midriff]. There you go man.”
“I got the speed to keep up with him, I got the power to hurt him.”
Almost as wearing as the prospect of facing a technical genius is the invasive presence of the media for a fighter who is set to face him. The flashing circus is never as active as when Floyd is gearing up for an appearance, hungry for a glimpse at the living great.
But to Berto, Floyd is a familiar figure. Perhaps that will ease some of the trepidation one may understandably feel when stepping into his territory; the MGM, Las Vegas, pay-per-view, the ring.
“At the end of the day I know this guy. It’s not like somebody I’m gonna see for the first time. I know Floyd man I’ve known Floyd for years. But he knows what it is when it comes to me, he knows how focused I am for this fight.”
And he will not let the derogation directed at him dictate the limits of what he feels he can achieve.
“It doesn’t matter what people say it doesn’t matter what’s going on, you can’t deter where I’m trying to head. That’s it. You gotta respect that.”
“You can’t let somebody tell you what you can’t do.”
Deserved or not he has the fight, and it would be a strange sound to hear a fighter of Berto’s toughness project the same uncertainty for victory as is being
