Tweet
by David P. Greisman - The burden of proof was not just on the challenger two years removed from his chin being tested and his heart being questioned.
The burden of proof was also on the man he was challenging, an undefeated titleholder who had knocked out 21 of his 27 opponents.
There were reasons to doubt both Victor Ortiz and Andre Berto.
Ortiz had wilted in a firefight with Marcos Maidana in June 2009, unable to compensate when his punches could put Maidana down but not out early; unable to cope with Maidana’s pressure and power as the fight went further; unable to continue when the odds of coming back were getting longer.
Ortiz had been a reclamation project ever since: stoppage wins over safer opponents in Antonio Diaz and Hector Alatorre, a clear unanimous decision over a hobbled, aged Nate Campbell, a knockout of a damaged Vivian Harris and a disappointing majority draw against Lamont Peterson.
Berto would be a step up from Ortiz’s recent run.
Then again, those who doubted Berto did so because of his own level of opposition.
He’d been selected years ago as a potential heir apparent in the welterweight division of Floyd Mayweather Jr., Miguel Cotto, Shane Mosley, Antonio Margarito and Manny Pacquiao. And so HBO put him on air, pushed him hard and paid him handsomely. [Click Here To Read More]
The burden of proof was also on the man he was challenging, an undefeated titleholder who had knocked out 21 of his 27 opponents.
There were reasons to doubt both Victor Ortiz and Andre Berto.
Ortiz had wilted in a firefight with Marcos Maidana in June 2009, unable to compensate when his punches could put Maidana down but not out early; unable to cope with Maidana’s pressure and power as the fight went further; unable to continue when the odds of coming back were getting longer.
Ortiz had been a reclamation project ever since: stoppage wins over safer opponents in Antonio Diaz and Hector Alatorre, a clear unanimous decision over a hobbled, aged Nate Campbell, a knockout of a damaged Vivian Harris and a disappointing majority draw against Lamont Peterson.
Berto would be a step up from Ortiz’s recent run.
Then again, those who doubted Berto did so because of his own level of opposition.
He’d been selected years ago as a potential heir apparent in the welterweight division of Floyd Mayweather Jr., Miguel Cotto, Shane Mosley, Antonio Margarito and Manny Pacquiao. And so HBO put him on air, pushed him hard and paid him handsomely. [Click Here To Read More]
Comment