By Rick Reeno

The welterweight division, regardless of the era, is usually swimming with talent and big name action. Every couple of years the division goes through a minor drought as new names are being established. Over the last two years, boxing's hottest weight division has been overrun by it's not so distant neighbor only seven pounds south, the junior welterweight division.

Fighters like Miguel Cotto, Paul Williams, Kermit Cintron, Luis Collazo and Antonio Margarito are now fighting at 154-pounds. Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao are focused on each other, and Shane Mosley is on a hiatus. Williams has been talking up a welterweight return but I don't see a single reason for him to waste his time. Mayweather and Pacquiao are never going to fight him. The majority of the young fighters coming up are still unknown. Even the champions are barely recognizable. Only the hardest of the hardcore fans are familiar with WBA champion Vyacheslav Senchenko, and Jan Zaveck, who holds the IBF's version of the title.

The current status of the welterweight division has left Andre Berto, the WBC champion, with a lot to think about. Berto and his promoter Lou DiBella are very realistic about their situation. They know a big date with either Mayweather or Pacquiao is not coming any time soon. While the welterweight division is starting to dry up, for the time being, the junior welterweight division is exploding with talent and lucrative opportunities. 

DiBella tells BoxingScene.com that we might see Berto shed a few pounds to target one of the major names at 140-pounds. Names like Juan Manuel Maruez, Amir Khan, Devon Alexander, Tim Bradley, Marcos Maidana and Victor Ortiz are just a few of the options at 140-pounds. Dropping down in weight is one of the scenarios being discussed for Berto, says DiBella.

"I'm not saying that he's definitely going to do it, but in this business it's good to have options and one of his options is to fight below 147. Berto is not a big welterweight. Why couldn't Amir Khan or Tim Bradley fight Berto for his welterweight title at 143 or 144? He wants the big fights now. There is a lot of talent and a lot of potential good fights a weight class below," DiBella told BoxingScene.com.