By Alex Mattis
Andre Berto will look to keep his rise, and undefeated streak, intact this Saturday night as he defends his WBC Welterweight Title against the scrappy challenge of Victor Ortiz.
One year ago, Andre Berto was set to fight Shane Mosley in a title unification bout. Circumstances outside of boxing did not permit this to happen. Since then, Berto has insistently been banging at the door of top-tier completion and recognition. A win in this fight may finally get him there.
This past November, Andre Berto kept his perfect record undamaged when he finished Freddy Hernandez in the very 1st round; successfully defending his title. This would mark the 27th win in the professional career of Berto. Yet, he still lacks the attention a record like that should warrant. The welterweight division is currently boxing’s most stacked and while many eyes should be on Berto, they aren’t.
While in boxing’s modern history, many have intentionally padded their record to attract notice; Andre Berto has been on a consistent quest to attract the attention of and fight the best in the world. Met with a lack of response, Berto is left to fight whoever is put in front of him. Victor Ortiz is, arguably, the biggest name to be put in front of him thus far. Can he use this fight as a launching pad? For Berto, this fight could serve as further validation. For Ortiz, this fight could serve as a return to form.
From the beginning of Ortiz’s career, he was tabbed as a prospect and someone to watch out for. He was where Berto now is. Following his 2009 TKO loss to Marcos Maidana, that all faded away. Ortiz had a solid 2010, until its end: “Vicious” Victor racked up three wins over the course of the year but stumbled in his Draw with Lamont Peterson this past December. This fight is imperative. If Ortiz (the heavy underdog) were to pull off the upset, it would reassert him back into the fold.
It would be safe to say Berto is a lock in this fight. However, Nobuhiro Ishida KO’d James Kirkland in the 1st round last week; further proving that there is no ‘lock’ in combat sports. We’ll find out what the future holds soon enough.
