By Michael Collins: Former IBF/WBC welterweight champion Andre Berto (28-1, 22 KO’s) will be looking to get revenge next month when he faces the man who beat him last April by a 12 round decision in Victor Ortiz (29-3-2 22 KO’s).
Berto wants to get his revenge and move on to bigger and better things in the welterweight division, such as Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao. Berto can’t afford to lose this fight if he wants to get those fights.
One loss is bad but a second loss that would likely keep Berto from ever facing Mayweather and Pacquiao. As it is, Berto is probably a good three years behind in his career progress due a lot of questionable matchmaking between 2007 and 2010.
Berto seemed to be in shock when he faced Ortiz last year, as it was such a huge step up for Berto from the fodder that he’d been fed up to that point in his career. Ortiz came out fast and put Berto down in the opening round with a hard right to the head. Berto showed a lot of heart by coming straight at Ortiz and returning the favor in the 2nd round. Berto looked like he was going to take control over the fight at that point but had problems with Ortiz’s superior inside game.
Berto came back to really hurt Ortiz in putting him down in the 6th but Ortiz got up off the deck and immediately knocked Berto down with a left to the head. That seemed to take all the life out of Berto from that point because he wasn’t nearly as dangerous after that.
Ortiz is going into this fight on a real bad note from his 4th round knockout loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr. last September and he’s going to have to rise above that and prove that he’s not someone that can beaten mentally the way that Mayweather did.