Veteran boxing commentator Larry Merchant blasted Floyd Mayweather Jr. for picking Andre Berto for his next fight, saying that the reigning pound-for-pound king should have faced Gennady Golovkin.
Mayweather will put his perfect 48-0 record on the line on Saturday against Berto at MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas. The Mayweather-Berto fight that has been scrutinized by most analysts since it was announced.
During an interview with TMZ Sports, Merchant does not believe the upcoming bout will be a big hit on Pay-Per-View, insisting that he will not even watch the fight because he saw no reason why Mayweather opted to face Berto.
"I didn't even know that was happening," Merchant said. "Why would anyone watch that kind of a fight? Berto has lost three of his last six fights. There are a lot better potential serious opponents. I think serious fight fans are asking themselves - why?"
For Merchant, Golovkin deserves a shot against Mayweather. Golovkin, who holds a 33-0 record with 30 knockout victories, is the reigning World Boxing Association and International Boxing Organization middleweight champion.
The 33-year-old Kazakh has dominated his recent opponents, which makes Merchant believe that he is the best possible opponent for Mayweather. However, the legendary commentator is convinced that Mayweather will not face the knockout artist because the Grand Rapids native is afraid of GGG.
"The most interesting fight would be Golovkin. But he's afraid of Golovkin so he's not going to fight him," Merchant added. "But there half a dozen other really good, young welterweights who might give him a little bit more trouble than he wants right now."
Will the Mayweather-Golovkin Fight Happen in the Future?
Mayweather is continuously being linked to Golovkin since the undefeated middleweight champion rose to prominence, but the fight is unlikely to happen.
Aside from the disparity in size, Mayweather remained firm on his stance that his upcoming fight against Berto will be the final bout of his illustrious boxing career. The 38-year-old reiterated that no one can dictate him on what to do next after winning against Berto on Saturday.
"Number 49 is my last fight," Mayweather told BoxingScene. "No one is in my shoes. My health is more important. If you stick around anything too long, anything can happen. I'm not really worried about losing, but I want to have a sharp mind. You can make a lot of money, but you still want to be able to talk, walk, and have a sharp mind."
