By Cliff Rold (photo by Scott Foster/FightWireImages)

The pre-fight report card assessed that “as an appetizer” for the coming Welterweight battle between Antonio Margarito-Shane Mosley, Andre Berto vs. Luis Collazo “is closer to the morsels which come on the road of fine five course dining.”  Boxing fans certainly got some solid culinary art on Saturday.

The well managed and increasingly hyped Berto (24-0, 19 KO) made the second defense of his WBC title, holding off the former WBA titlist Collazo (29-4, 14 KO) with a wild late rush in rounds eleven and twelve.  Did he do enough in the first ten rounds to merit holding onto his strap?  The wide variance of scores around the sport reflect the closeness of the twin 114-113 tallies ringside officials turned in (the third scorecard, Bill Clancy’s 116-111 for Berto, was absurd). 

Regardless of the point totals, Berto got something more important than a win on Saturday night.  He got much needed experience in his first test of a serious top ten contender at 147 lbs.  Like too many young fighters in the modern era, Berto arguably hasn’t been getting the number of rounds needed to develop into a complete fighter.  A 25-year old fighter coming off of a fourth professional year (2008) where he had only three fights leaves so little room for error.  He got some high quality educational rounds from Collazo. 

There are fighters who develop greatness with such schedules, in recent vintage Pernell Whitaker and Evander Holyfield.  Most others do not.  What could fans take away from Berto’s performance on Saturday in predicting the future?

Let’s go to report card.

Grades

Pre-Fight - Speed: Berto A; Collazo B+/Post-Fight: Same
Pre-Fight - Power: Berto B+; Collazo C+/Post-Fight: Berto B; Collazo B-
Pre-Fight - Defense: Collazo B; Berto B/Post-Fight: Same
Pre-Fight - Intangibles: Collazo B+; Berto B+/Post-Fight: Same

Before the future, we deal with the present and Berto showed off the best and worst of himself.  The speed was as always exceptional but the power was less so in this battle.  Berto caught Collazo with some excellent shots but couldn’t really hurt him until late in the fight and, at that point, fatigue mattered as much as pop.  It was Berto’s second straight by the route and there is a simple explanation for it.

He’s fighting better fighters. 

Collazo, and before him former Jr. Lightweight titlist Steve Forbes, aren’t easy fighters to stop.  Few fighters in the upper levels are.  Both Collazo and Forbes have shown consistently tough beards in their careers and in a division which currently houses a top ten where every fighter has held or holds a major title, the beards will keep on coming. 

Big time beards are a reason to be concerned about Berto because so far the young titlist hasn’t proven his own chin undentable.  He was staggered in the first by the straight left from Collazo and weathered a brutal storm in the tenth.  Collazo showed his power to be better than his knockout rate, but it remains less than what can be found with a Margarito or Miguel Cotto.  Berto had been staggered previously by David Estrada, another solid pro without fight finishing power, and visited the deck against Cosme Rivera, a limited brawler with heavy hands. 

Both men were hittable on Saturday, but Berto remains particularly leaky defensively.  His aggressive inclinations make for good TV, but they may not make for a long career.  One area where Berto is proven by now, and where Collazo has been proven for awhile, is the heart and character, intangibles, they bring into the squared circle.  Many young fighters might have grown frustrated or desperate in a round like the tenth but Berto bit down and fought harder.  Collazo, who has shared rings with Jose Rivera, Mosley, and Ricky Hatton, had been through the grind with the best.  Berto proved he’s got the inner stuff to be right there as well.

While attention here is fixed on Berto, Collazo deserves his accolades.  In defeat, he managed to keep himself viable in the Welterweight division and provided the sort of viewing experience that should make his an easy name to call going forward.  He may be 0-3 in his major HBO outings, but win or lose he’ll be worth every dime when a fourth chance rears its head.

Fight Grade: A

Going Forward

HBO’s Max Kellerman made a comparison to Meldrick Taylor, another tightly scheduled fighter who came up from the Olympics with Holyfield and Whitaker, and another name also merits mention: Fernando Vargas.  Like Taylor and Vargas, Berto chooses combat rather than accentuation of his physical gifts.  It’s a tough decision for handlers.  Do you keep matching a budding talent tough and hope he weathers or pull in the reins and try to iron out the wrinkles. 

In the case of both Taylor and Vargas, the former option was chosen and both found themselves all but ruined by pressure fighting veterans in Julio Cesar Chavez and Felix Trinidad respectively.  The top of Berto’s class right now features Margarito and, at least with what’s been seen so far, the parallels in Berto’s present chances are foreboding.

Luckily for Berto, if Margarito defeats Mosley, it’s unlikely he’ll be heading to that winner right away.  Both he and Collazo share the ideal next foe: Zab Judah.  Judah’s name recognition and New York roots could make a battle with fellow New Yorker Collazo a strong ticket seller.  For Berto, it would add a former undisputed World champion with more name value than any other foe.  Whatever happens, fans were treated to a primal battle and both men will be welcomed back with open eyes.

Cliff Rold is a member of the Ring Magazine Ratings Advisory Panel and the Boxing Writers Association of America.  He can be reached at roldboxing@hotmail.com