Berto's Trainer Doesn't Expect The Same Victor Ortiz

By Dennis 'dSource' Guillermo

I caught up with Andre Berto and his trainer Tony Morgan at the tail end of their training camp in San Mateo, California for their September 3 IBF welterweight title clash with Jan Zaveck in Biloxi, Mississippi.

Berto and Morgan moved their camp to the Bay Area to  get help with his nutrition and conditioning with SNAC through Victor Conte and track coach Remi Korchemny. Conte has received a lot of praise for helping out fighters like Nonito 'The Filipino Flash' Donaire, Jr. and Andre Ward. Berto discovered, through blood evaluation he received from SNAC, that he has been suffering from anemia in the last couple of years.

The 27-year-old Winter Haven, Florida resident looked good in his sparring sessions, as this scribe witnessed him go through multiple sparring partners with ease, drawing cheers from other onlookers with his impressive and explosive showing.

Among a lot of things that I talked to Berto and Morgan about, were their thoughts on the upcoming fight between Floyd Mayweather, Jr. and Victor Ortiz on September 17.

“I take my hat off to Floyd, because truthfully, I was not really a Floyd fan. When Floyd fought Shane," Berto's head trainer Morgan told me.

"Shane's a tough fight, I don't care who's fighting him, Shane's tough. Whether it's twelve rounds or five rounds, he's tough.

"The Zab fight too¸ I can't say Zab was impressive for me, I thought Zab was going to beat him, because I knew Floyd had trouble with left handers, and I figured Zab would land a punch.

"Shane landed a big punch, Floyd bounced back after the big punch, did his thing, and really impressed me that night; showed me he doesn't get frazzled under pressure. The guy deals with a lot of pressure. Even if he talks as much as he does, that's his character. He plays his character. He's making more money than anybody in boxing. People think Pacquiao making more money better check your check books, because Floyd's tripling that. I don't we'll see that same Victor – personal reasons – but I just think Floyd's just too smart. Here's the thing, when you haven't lost in that long, it's hard to beat a guy who doesn't know how to lose. It's hard to beat those guys,” Morgan concluded.

As far as Berto is concerned, he's uncertain who will come out victorious, but believes Floyd's savvy and ring smarts give him an edge over Ortiz. “I believe it's going to be a good fight. Floyd, he was there at the fight (Berto-Ortiz), I believe he's seen stuff, actually he called me a couple of days after the fight, he was just like 'man, I know something is up. I know it wasn't you that night'. Then again, he also saw some things that he can capitalize on Ortiz, that I didn't that night," Berto told me.

"Then again, I know Ortiz, he's going to come hungry. He's going to come with a lot of force, but Floyd is smart; he's is sharp. He's going to try to do what he can do. It's going to be a good fight, either way it goes. Whoever wins, wins.”