ANDRE BERTO believes Floyd Mayweather has not fought anyone like him since he outpointed Zab Judah in 2006.
Judah gave Floyd problems early on in their fight with his speed and southpaw style and Mayweather even touched down at one point, though it was not ruled a knockdown.
Berto will face Mayweather at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on September 12 and despite being 3-3 in his last six fights, believes he has the tools to upset the unbeaten star.
“I bring that rare combination of speed, power and explosiveness to the table. The last person he fought with that combination was Zab Judah. I’m younger, I’m hungry; I’m strong and fast. I’m focused on what I’m coming to get,โ he said.
“I know I’m going to come in there fast and strong. I’m 152lbs right now. At the end of the day you’re going to see a kids who’s had his highs, or who’s had his falls. And now we’re right back to making it happen.
“Have you ever seen a boring Andre Berto fight? At the end of the day we work our butt off, I’ve been working for a long time. Right now, the harvest is coming. We sowed the seeds and the time is now.โ
A shoulder injury hampered Bertoโs progression a few years ago, as did a brief ban after testing positive for a banned substance in 2012, but the Florida native feels those troubles have led to this fight.
โTwo years ago I was in the hospital bed having surgery on my shoulder and not knowing if I could come back from that. At the end of the day it was a blessing. We stayed focused and now we’re here,โ he said.
“It’s a long time coming. Now we’re here. Anybody that knows me has seen great things but at the same time they’ve seen me go through some real trials. What comes with that is a lot of hard work and perseverance.
“I felt like I went through what I went through for a reason. My time is now. There’s no better day than the present. Floyd is no stranger to me. We’re already deep into camp. You definitely do not want to miss this one.”
Berto also addressed the criticism this fight has received and insists it does not get to him.
โThis is a fight that I felt Floyd still wanted to make happen. Him coming off of the [Manny] Pacquiao fight, of course it’s easy for people to downplay me. I can’t worry about that and I’m not worried about that.โ