Floyd Mayweather returns to the ring on Sept. 12 (photo: Naoki Fukuda)

By Chris Robinson

According to various reports, Floyd Mayweather’s Sept. 12 return at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nev. may not be quite what we expect, as some indications are hinting towards a fight with former welterweight titlist Andre Berto on CBS as the next assignment.

Coming off the most lucrative boxing event in history, as Mayweather soundly defeated Filipino superstar Manny Pacquiao this past May, a matchup with Berto, who is 3-3 in his last six bouts, seems like a step back as the Grand Rapids native pushes closer to the end of his rode.

Premier Boxing Champions has seen the sport return to free television on channels such as CBS and NBC, and seeing Mayweather on a stage outside of the pay per view world does sound surprising.

For former HBO analyst Larry Merchant, he seems unsure what to think of all the talk.

“I don’t know that there wouldn’t be so much cynicism attached to picking an opponent like Berto,” Merchant told Hustle Boss recently. “But Haymon and Mayweather are operating on another frequency that either ignores or doesn’t seem to need the boxing world.”

Check below for more from Merchant, including whether or not he thinks PBC could be a good thing for the game of boxing.

Chris Robionson can be reached at CRobinson@hustleboss.com