By Michael Collins: If former IBF/WBC welterweight champion Andre Berto (28-1, 22 KO’s) has any chance in the rematch against former WBC welterweight champion Victor Ortiz (29-3-2, 22 KO’s) on February 11th, Berto will have to try and get to the 24-year-old Ortiz early before Berto runs out of gas like he did last time.
Berto looked like he’d ran a marathon by the 6th last April in his 12 round decision loss to Ortiz. If the fight had been halted at the halfway point, you’d say that Berto fought well enough to possibly get a close win. However, Berto really tanked in the last half of the fight and spent a lot of it with his back against the ropes like a sparring partner or older fighter whose legs could no longer keep him moving around the ring.
Berto says he’s working on his stamina problem and will have everything fixed for this fight but I kind of have my doubts. If you’ve had poor stamina for a long period of time like Berto, then it’s not something that you can fix in a training camp. If it’s been a long term thing, then you are pretty much stuck with it and half to try and work around it. In that case, I think Berto needs to fire off everything he’s got in the first six rounds and try to score an early knockout or at the very least pile up a big enough lead to where he will only need to win two rounds at the most in the second half of the fight and still win.
Berto also needs to stay of the ropes this time. He can’t back up to the ropes and allow Ortiz to crowd him because Ortiz is an excellent inside fighter and will put a real beat down on Berto if he allows Ortiz to crowd him.