(MANSHANTUCKET, CONN.) – 2004 Haitian Olympian Andre Berto (Winter Haven, Fla.) returned to the ring for the first time since February 24 to take on fellow 4-0 boxer Tim Himes (Erie, Pa.) at the Foxwoods Resort Casino. Although the two boxers shared the same professional record, it was clear early in the first round that Himes was clearly overmatched.
Berto controlled the contest from the opening seconds of the fight before trapping Himes on the ropes and peppering him with strong, fast combinations. The 21-year-old then threw a devastating right followed by a left hook that dropped Himes to the canvas. Referee Johnny Calis jumped in and stopped the fight at 2:10 in the first round saving Himes from further punishment.
The first round knockout was the first loss of Himes career and took Berto to a perfect 5-0 with three knockouts. Berto will step into the ring for his sixth professional fight on June 9 at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York, N.Y. He will now head to Las Vegas, Nev., for fellow Floridian and friend Winky Wright’s middleweight match-up with Felix Trinidad on May 14.
The card was promoted by Dibella Entertainment and featured fellow undefeated junior middleweights Sechew Powell and Yuri Foreman. Both Brooklyn boxers added victories to their records defeating Cornelius Bundrage and Kevin Cagle respectively.
The 21-year-old Florida native competed in the 2004 Olympics as the one-man Haitian boxing team. He is an accomplished amateur, holding a World Championships bronze medal and four national titles.
