By Joe Harrison
In the past, the name Andre Berto meant nothing more than an undefeated prospect with a lot of potential. Today, the name Andre Berto means welterweight champion. Not “the” welterweight champion, but still a man among the best in today’s 147-pound division. By scoring a 7th-round TKO victory over Miguel Angel Rodriguez on June 21st, Berto secured the WBC belt which was left vacant by the now-retired Floyd Mayweather Jr.
At the age of 24 and standing at a height of 5’8 ½, Berto resides in Winter Haven, Florida. Berto dishes out quite a bit of power, holding a professional record of 22-0 with 19 KOs, 7 of those coming in the first round. Not only was it impressive to see Berto win the WBC strap, but he did it in dominating fashion over a respectable opponent in Rodriguez.
“It’s great (being WBC champ),” said Berto. “Especially being able to accomplish this at the age of 24 years old, it’s really great.”
Berto is among the best in a division that holds great names such as Miguel Cotto, Antonio Margarito, Paul Williams, Zab Judah, as well as many others. There may not be another Floyd Mayweather Jr. coming anytime soon, but Berto certainly has his work cut out for him. So how does Berto compare to these other top boxers?
“I think I’m the best in my division,” said Berto. “I’d love the opportunity to prove it by taking on the best and taking on the other champions. I want to show that I’m among the best pound-for-pound.”
“I have that rare combination of bursting speed and power. I’m an exciting fighter trying to make exciting fights. I’ve been told that I show a lot of heart in my fights too.”
At this point, Berto mentioned that he is in the gym training regularly while the options for his next opponent are being sorted out. As far as his next opponent, he is not the type of boxer to call out other names, and he may have to prepare for a mandatory defense. That would only bring the question of what means more to Berto; holding onto the title by facing his mandatory challengers or just facing the best even if it means being stripped of the title?
“I’ll probably be back in October,” said Berto. “I’m looking to face the best out there. I’ll fight anyone they put in front of me. I don’t make those decisions. If I’m told to fight the mandatory, then that’s what I’ll do. I want the fans to keep watching me. I’m an exciting fighter and I’m going to remain the champion.”
Recently, the WBC proposed that an eliminator take place between welterweights Isaac Hlatshwayo (28-1, 10 KOs) and Jackson Osei Bonsu (28-1, 23 KOs) to determine Berto’s first mandatory defense. On the other hand, WBC number-one contender, Luis Collazo (28-3, 13 KOs), has issued a protest requesting that he be named the mandatory challenger for Berto.
Regardless of Berto’s next opponent, it seems evident that his aim is to please the fans. He stressed fighting the best and making fights exciting, two key ingredients that any boxing fan could ask for while watching a boxing match. If that is the case, then Berto’s only remaining concern is to continue winning as he faces the division’s top boxers.
