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Las Vegas - Floyd Mayweather made a fierce defence on Wednesday of his stellar career and his decision to pick the hugely unfancied Andre Berto, ahead of their welterweight world title fight Saturday in Las Vegas.
The American goes into the bout a perfect 48-0 and will equal the record of legendary heavyweight Rocky Marciano if - as expected - he sends Berto, who has lost three of his last six fights, packing.
Mayweather, 38, insists this is the last fight of his career - few believe him - and he has faced criticism from fight fans who say he ducked some of the best in the weight division in cherry-picking Berto.
Britain's Amir Khan was among a host of fighters who wanted a go at pound-for-pound king Mayweather and the bout has failed to grab the interest of the public - tickets were still widely available at the MGM Grand three days before the showdown.
"Berto is not a pushover. No matter who I choose, the media will have something to say," Mayweather, the world's highest-paid sportsman, told a press conference.
"Khan has three losses, Berto has three. No matter what the media say, when it comes down to it, it is two competitors and I know what I can do.
"I can fight. When you talk about highest gates, I am that guy. Highest (television) pay-per-view, I am that guy."
He rejected talk from Virgil Hunter, Berto's respected trainer, that there was a personal beef between the two fighters, who engaged in a seemingly intense faceoff after the press conference.
"I keep my eyes on the prize and never focus on the outside. I focus on the guy in front of me," added Mayweather.
"I always had a dream and my dream was to be the best. No matter what happens on Saturday, when it comes to boxing, I am the best there is."
