Andre Berto – Fighting For More Than a Belt
By Thomas Gerbasi
When HBO airs the newest installment of its 24/7 series this Saturday night, WBC welterweight champion Andre Berto won't be watching. Instead, he'll be defending his title for the fourth time, taking on Carlos Quintana at the Bank Atlantic Center in Sunrise, Florida.
Normally, it would be just another prizefight, but Berto's actions in January made sure that this weekend's bout is anything but ordinary. It was in the first month of the New Year that he withdrew from the biggest fight of his pro career against Shane Mosley. Not because of injury, for money, or for any other selfish reason.
What prompted the fighter to put his career on hold was a desire to deal with something a lot more important than a nice payday and a possible trip to the pound for pound list - the aftermath of the Haitian earthquake that devastated the nation and cost him several family members.
The decision - understood by all - still came as a surprise to many who are conditioned to believe that today's professional athlete cares for little beyond the next paycheck, endorsement opportunity, or after party.
Berto shattered those stereotypes in one fell swoop.
So when Mosley gets the 24/7 treatment and the subsequent mega payday for his May 1st bout with Floyd Mayweather, Berto will not be the one saying 'That could have been me.'
“I did what I did for a reason and I don’t regret it,” Berto told BoxingScene. “Everything I do I really mean and I stand firm to it. And this is boxing. I think with an impressive performance Saturday night, it’s just gonna put me right in contention with a lot of those guys – the Pacquiaos, the Mosleys, the Mayweathers – and we’re gonna make big fights happen in the future.”
He’s right, but the fact that keeping his unbeaten record intact on Saturday and beyond will keep him in the conversation when it comes to big fights in the welterweight division shouldn’t dilute what he’s already done. In putting real life before his career, Berto made a statement, one that should be applauded.
“Believe it or not, a lot of these fighters don’t understand that we are role models,” said Berto. “And at the same time, there’s a certain perception of fighters - because it’s been done in such a way for a long time - that we’re just big brutes who don’t have a sense of what’s going on and that we’re just fighting for the next paycheck. But we’re humans as well, a lot of us are educated, and we do have a desire to do positive things that our boxing gives us a platform to do. I think with this situation that happened, you can basically see the evidence of that.”
Following his withdrawal from the Mosley fight, Berto jumped into action, establishing the “Berto Dynasty Foundation” to raise money for those affected by the 7.0 earthquake, and he also visited the country he represented in the 2004 Olympics. You can still hear the emotion in his voice as he describes the visit.
“It looked like a war zone,” he says quietly. “A lot of damage. Stepping off the plane I could still see the debris from the buildings crashing and I could still smell all the death, and it definitely needs a lot of repair.”
Berto lost several family members in the quake, including an uncle, and there were tense moments as his sister Naomi and niece Jessica went missing. The two were eventually found safe, but were left homeless.
“The family members that were in the danger zone area, we got them taken care of and moved back to an area where it was safe,” said Berto when asked the current status of his family in Haiti. “Now we’re in the process of getting them here to the States, so everything else is okay.”
With that being the case, Berto now has to get back to the business of resuming his fight career. This Saturday will be the first step back against Puerto Rico’s Quintana, but there’s a sense that the life of the 26-year old champion will never be the way it was before January 12th.
“Just stepping away, I really had the chance to reflect on a lot of different things, and life in general,” he said. “It’s something that definitely helped me grow. I believe I had to go through a lot of character building within the last few months, and it forced me to mature more in those two, three months than I could have in two, three years.”
That statement is actually surprising, considering that Berto – along with another member of the Olympic class of 2004, Andre Ward – has always been one of the more mature young men you will run into. In and out of the ring, Berto ‘gets it’, and he has always looked at life’s big picture, and not just at what’s in front of him. But the tragedy in Haiti has forced him to elevate himself even higher from this day forward.
“When it comes to life and moving forward in what you’re trying to do in life, I believe it puts a lot of things in perspective because at any time, it could be over,” he said. “To go through a situation like that definitely makes you a lot more focused, makes you hug your loved ones a little bit longer and makes you really feel like you have a purpose along with this talent. It’s not just to go out there, perform, and get these paychecks, but to inspire, whether it’s some kids in my neighborhood, or if it’s a nation.”
That’s a lot of responsibility to carry on your shoulders, but Berto has been wearing it well, even after a week of pre-fight interviews that have almost universally forced him to re-live memories I’m sure he’d like to forget.
“It’s tough, but then again, this fight is for a good cause and we’re bringing that awareness back,” he said. “And it’s not just to mourn the dead; it’s more of a celebration to give back and continue helping Haiti and to move forward to build a new Haiti.”
As he noted, this weekend’s event isn’t just a championship fight; a portion of the night’s ticket proceeds will go to the aforementioned Berto Dynasty Foundation benefiting Project Medishare, making it a winning situation for a worthy cause regardless of the final result of the main event. But Berto’s still a prizefighter, still a champion, and still looking to get the victory in his first bout since his 12 round win over Juan Urango last May. And he’s well aware that Quintana, winner of two in a row since his rematch loss to Paul Williams in 2008, would love to sneak up on him and take the belt.
“He (Quintana) us a slick and smart southpaw, and if you give him too much, he’ll definitely take advantage of it,” said Berto. “He can be a spoiler if you let him, and he’s real sneaky, so you’ve just got to stay on your P’s and Q’s at all times.”
Count on Berto to be on point Saturday night because when it comes down to it, the ring is the one place where he can always find refuge. He’s missed that place, and on what promises to be an emotional night, he can show the world just what a fighter with Haitian blood running through him can do.
“It’s definitely gonna be emotional, but in the end it’s gonna be motivational as well,” he said. “With everybody coming out to support a cause and me finally getting back in the ring after everything that’s happened in my personal life the last couple months, it’s kinda hard to say what it’s gonna be like, but I’m looking forward to it and looking forward to putting on a great performance.”