By Rick Reeno
BoxingScene.com has learned that a proposed fight between welterweight champions Shane Mosley and Andre Berto is in jeopardy of not happening at all. Various sources advised me that Golden Boy Promotions made an offer of $750,000 for Berto to face Mosley in the fall. Based on that number, Berto would earn less for Mosley than he did for Juan Urango and Luis Collazo.
Two sources advised me that over $3 million dollars is in the mix from HBO alone. Obviously Mosley wants the bulk of the take.
BoxingScene contacted Berto’s promoter Lou DiBella. He refused to discuss specific numbers in the Mosley-Berto negotiations but he did say several options were being discussed for Berto.
Luis Collazo is one of those options for Berto. The problem with a Collazo rematch is the money. I’ve heard HBO offered less for the rematch than was previously paid for the initial fight. Both fighters would earn less for the rematch. Box that in with Collazo’s demand of $900K to promoter Don King - and the fight becomes a difficult one to make. Both sides are still trying.
Selcuk Aydin, Universum’s undefeated amateur standout from Turkey, is another fighter trying to get to Berto. There is a significant amount of money being offered [well above the offer to fight Mosley] for Berto to fight Aydin in Turkey. I’m not sure about Berto’s eagerness to travel to Turkey for a title defense with the possibility of American television not being involved. There are rumors that the Turkish government could get involved to financially persuade Berto to fight Aydin in a soccer stadium. Depending on the amount of financial persuasion, anything is possible.