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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: ANDRE BERTO
By G. Leon
WBC welterweight champ, responds to Cintron's verbal attack
GL: Merry Christmas Andre Berto. I imagine you're calling me to respond to some of the harsh remarks Kermit Cintron made about you recently. "Man, it's Christmas time. This is a time to be jolly and enjoying your loved ones, but I get a string of phone calls saying that Superman had a lot of harsh things to say about me. Why? I don't know, but I'm calling him Superman because the last time I saw him, he looked like he had a cape on flying out of the ring against Paul Williams and then saying he's hurt. He has a lot of talk to him, but there's nobody holding him back and there's nobody holding me back. I don't know what the situation is with his team, but he's saying I need to fight somebody and he's a nobody. Knocking him out keeps me in the same position, so I don't really see any reason to entertain him."
GL: How do you feel about him calling you a paper champion who hasn't fought anybody that would get stopped inside of three rounds?
Andre Berto: "Like I said, when you're in this position everybody wants a piece of you, even the scum of the division will come out and believe they can do some things. He needs to keep on his blue and red outfit, be Superman and chill and relax."
GL: Does that mean he's not on your radar? And if he's not on your radar who is?
AB: "Why would he be on my radar? If I whoop Kermit Cintron's ass then what."
GL: I'm going to keep it real with you, if you fought him people would look at it as your toughest fight since Luis Collazo.
AB: "No they're not. They need to understand that every time I step into the ring there's high expectations. The last guy I fought, Freddie Hernandez, he had never been knocked out. I knock him out in one round and people act like I was riding a bike or something. If I smash Superman, then what? Nothing else will come behind that. We're looking for fights that the people are really going to want to watch. And they definitely want to see me in with top competition and that's why we're here."
GL: Have you found yourself a new promoter or manager yet? Last time your name was on **********, the subject of the story was you being a free agent across the board. What can you tell us about this?
AB: "I have no comment. (laughs) All I'm saying is Team Berto is in full effect and will be in full effect for 2011. But I'm definitely calling all of my shots right now. I don't have anything holding me back. I have no restraints on anything, I'll just leave it like that."
GL: Looking at how Shane landed the fight, leaving Golden Boy to go to Top Rank, do you think your affliation with Al Haymon cost you a Manny Pacquiao fight?
AB: "Bob Arum is going to do what he wants. I understand that, but I'm hearing some things with Manny Pacquiao saying to reporters in the Philippines, that I'm the best challenge for him. But this boxing game is a business. The fans don't want to see him fight Shane."
GL: Since this is a business, Bob Arum isn't looking to do Golden Boy a favor through Marquez on a fighter he used to promote and he's certainly not doing Al Haymon any favors.
AB: "Of course. He wants to keep it all in house and that's what it is and that's the sour thing about the sport. I see Golden Boy trying to put all the bad blood to the side and reach out to Bob Arum, but Arum ain't trying to hear them."
GL: It's usually the promoter who lacks the superstar, in this case Golden Boy, that extends an olive branch. Something tells me Arum would be seeking the same kind of peace if Manny were with Golden Boy.
AB: (laughs) "Of course, you're probably right about that."
GL: Let's not debate about the business. Who is the other top competition you want to fight? The competition that makes "Superman" as you've called him, a nobody? Shane and Pacquiao are tied up with each other and Mayweather is tied up in court. Who else is there shot caller Andre Berto?
AB: "Guys like Miguel Cotto, guys like Marquez, maybe any of the top guys coming up from 140. Maybe my mandatory. Right now I'll fight anybody. If Superman continues to bark and run off at his mouth and HBO is willing to put up the money to make it happen, I'll be all for it. This is what I do and this is why I'm in the business, to entertain these fans by putting a hurting on these guys."
GL: What's the target date?
AB: "March or April hopefully. I'm still trying to heal up, I had a slight situation that I had to surgery on. It's on my right hand, it happened in my last fight and in five weeks I'll be good."
GL: Was it a break, a tear?
AB: "I don't want to get into details. I had a situation with my hand and I got it handled."
GL: Closing thoughts?
AB: "I'm ready to go. 2011 is going to be a big year for me. Happy Holidays to everyone. Much love from Team Berto, we'll be back in full effect in 2001. We're back here on Boxing talk, the most official site in the business baby!"
By G. Leon
WBC welterweight champ, responds to Cintron's verbal attack
GL: Merry Christmas Andre Berto. I imagine you're calling me to respond to some of the harsh remarks Kermit Cintron made about you recently. "Man, it's Christmas time. This is a time to be jolly and enjoying your loved ones, but I get a string of phone calls saying that Superman had a lot of harsh things to say about me. Why? I don't know, but I'm calling him Superman because the last time I saw him, he looked like he had a cape on flying out of the ring against Paul Williams and then saying he's hurt. He has a lot of talk to him, but there's nobody holding him back and there's nobody holding me back. I don't know what the situation is with his team, but he's saying I need to fight somebody and he's a nobody. Knocking him out keeps me in the same position, so I don't really see any reason to entertain him."
GL: How do you feel about him calling you a paper champion who hasn't fought anybody that would get stopped inside of three rounds?
Andre Berto: "Like I said, when you're in this position everybody wants a piece of you, even the scum of the division will come out and believe they can do some things. He needs to keep on his blue and red outfit, be Superman and chill and relax."
GL: Does that mean he's not on your radar? And if he's not on your radar who is?
AB: "Why would he be on my radar? If I whoop Kermit Cintron's ass then what."
GL: I'm going to keep it real with you, if you fought him people would look at it as your toughest fight since Luis Collazo.
AB: "No they're not. They need to understand that every time I step into the ring there's high expectations. The last guy I fought, Freddie Hernandez, he had never been knocked out. I knock him out in one round and people act like I was riding a bike or something. If I smash Superman, then what? Nothing else will come behind that. We're looking for fights that the people are really going to want to watch. And they definitely want to see me in with top competition and that's why we're here."
GL: Have you found yourself a new promoter or manager yet? Last time your name was on **********, the subject of the story was you being a free agent across the board. What can you tell us about this?
AB: "I have no comment. (laughs) All I'm saying is Team Berto is in full effect and will be in full effect for 2011. But I'm definitely calling all of my shots right now. I don't have anything holding me back. I have no restraints on anything, I'll just leave it like that."
GL: Looking at how Shane landed the fight, leaving Golden Boy to go to Top Rank, do you think your affliation with Al Haymon cost you a Manny Pacquiao fight?
AB: "Bob Arum is going to do what he wants. I understand that, but I'm hearing some things with Manny Pacquiao saying to reporters in the Philippines, that I'm the best challenge for him. But this boxing game is a business. The fans don't want to see him fight Shane."
GL: Since this is a business, Bob Arum isn't looking to do Golden Boy a favor through Marquez on a fighter he used to promote and he's certainly not doing Al Haymon any favors.
AB: "Of course. He wants to keep it all in house and that's what it is and that's the sour thing about the sport. I see Golden Boy trying to put all the bad blood to the side and reach out to Bob Arum, but Arum ain't trying to hear them."
GL: It's usually the promoter who lacks the superstar, in this case Golden Boy, that extends an olive branch. Something tells me Arum would be seeking the same kind of peace if Manny were with Golden Boy.
AB: (laughs) "Of course, you're probably right about that."
GL: Let's not debate about the business. Who is the other top competition you want to fight? The competition that makes "Superman" as you've called him, a nobody? Shane and Pacquiao are tied up with each other and Mayweather is tied up in court. Who else is there shot caller Andre Berto?
AB: "Guys like Miguel Cotto, guys like Marquez, maybe any of the top guys coming up from 140. Maybe my mandatory. Right now I'll fight anybody. If Superman continues to bark and run off at his mouth and HBO is willing to put up the money to make it happen, I'll be all for it. This is what I do and this is why I'm in the business, to entertain these fans by putting a hurting on these guys."
GL: What's the target date?
AB: "March or April hopefully. I'm still trying to heal up, I had a slight situation that I had to surgery on. It's on my right hand, it happened in my last fight and in five weeks I'll be good."
GL: Was it a break, a tear?
AB: "I don't want to get into details. I had a situation with my hand and I got it handled."
GL: Closing thoughts?
AB: "I'm ready to go. 2011 is going to be a big year for me. Happy Holidays to everyone. Much love from Team Berto, we'll be back in full effect in 2001. We're back here on Boxing talk, the most official site in the business baby!"
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