Andre Berto vs An Elite Figther

[The Gambler1981]

It's just good experience to be gaining against a top 10 opponent. It proves he wouldn't be Clottey, but it proves that he has the the heart to match skills with someone like Mosley. It also proves that he might need another top 10 opponent or two before he's ready to fight for the top spot in the division. It was tougher than expected, but not the end of the world.

Clottey has a big problem if he faces Berto, he fades (also if Berto attacks he can force Clottey to defend mostly, but if Berto is not active enough that could work in Clottey's favor). Berto proved has proven he really does not fade, atleast to this point. I think Clottey-Berto is an intersting fight right now.

[Bushbaby]

I believe Collazo himself,is an elite welterweight,Hatton did not win that fight against him,Mosley did though,but from the performance Ive seen Berto give in that fight,he wants none of the other elite fighters.He may have the best chance against Cotto,because they are the closest in size and Cotto also has a suspect chin,but I still dont see him winning, against Margarito,Clottey,or the Punisher,he will be handled easily,"I left Mosley out because he is close to retirement

[Pullcounter]

dude, if berto had to dig deep for collazo (a gatekeeper) he'll get killed by elite boxers.

[The Gambler1981]

dude, if berto had to dig deep for collazo (a gatekeeper) he'll get killed by elite boxers.

I fail to see how being forced to dig deep and being successful at it is a bad thing for Berto at this point of his career. Collazo is a pretty damn good boxer that is a southpaw (he has been away from the top level for a minute and it showed in the Berto fight though).

What happeaned in the Collazo fight is not a good barometer against Mosley,Cotto, Margarito or Clottey because all five of these guys fight vastly different.

He might get killed I don't really know, but to say that Collazo fight proves that Berto will get killed by any elite welter is asanine at best, because to me that fight proves he has what it takes to atleast be competitive on that level and he has nothing left to prove fighting guys in the lower half of the top 10.

[slicksouthpaw16]

He definitely needs to tighten some of his game up if he wants to compete with Mosley, Margarito or Cotto. His defense needs to pick up but the thing that i didn't like about him in the Collazo fight was his poor footwork, and him pulling straight back and still being in the line of the punch. Someone like Margarito or Cottto would follow him straight back and land a punch that drops him because of his balance and if he gets caught in an exchange with either of them, then that would be pretty much it. They would finish him. Give Berto some great movement of say a Cotto or Mayweather JR, then he could be a world beater. Athletically he is probably the best at welterweight though, his hands are lightning.

[javelin_fangs]

dude, if berto had to dig deep for collazo (a gatekeeper) he'll get killed by elite boxers.

That's true if you assume that he's not going to get better with experience, but Berto has almost no experience against good fighters. This was the first fight he's had where he really got hit back and even trailed on the scorecards. With the possible exception of the Estrada fight, no one else really even won any rounds against him. So, the way Berto responded against Collazo was good.

He does need to get better and if DiBella were to put him in against Margarito, for example, that'd be a mistake, but I could see Berto being the legit 147 lb champ at some point in the next 18 months or so.