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by Cliff Rold - This hasn’t been a case where the emperor had no clothes.
They just haven’t been the clothes the hype machine dreamt about.
Former Welterweight titlist Andre Berto has been a shining example of the value of good management. A fighter with solid speed and pop, Berto was presented from the start as one of the sports future stars and the noise machine stayed loud enough to drown out a steady stream of whispers.
Whispers about his chin, about his matchmaking.
The whispers grew over time to be as loud as the hype. A bad knockdown against Cosme Rivera, the laughable title win against the unknown and undeserving Miguel Rodriguez, and a questionable decision win over Luis Collazo emboldened skeptics.
Ironically, it was in rising against Rivera and enduring in the Collazo battle that the real Berto was emerging. No, he wasn’t a future great, but he was all fighter. Losses to Victor Ortiz and Robert Guerrero sandwiched around a win over Jan Zaveck and being busted for trying to cheat on the road to an aborted Ortiz rematch, showed that again.
Saturday he’s matched with another man who qualifies as all fighter. Jesus Soto Karass doesn’t beat them all, but he often gives a great account and can spoil anyone’s bigger plans. Berto is the story going in; desperately needing to avoid another loss, can he win to keep his career viable? [Click Here To Read More]
They just haven’t been the clothes the hype machine dreamt about.
Former Welterweight titlist Andre Berto has been a shining example of the value of good management. A fighter with solid speed and pop, Berto was presented from the start as one of the sports future stars and the noise machine stayed loud enough to drown out a steady stream of whispers.
Whispers about his chin, about his matchmaking.
The whispers grew over time to be as loud as the hype. A bad knockdown against Cosme Rivera, the laughable title win against the unknown and undeserving Miguel Rodriguez, and a questionable decision win over Luis Collazo emboldened skeptics.
Ironically, it was in rising against Rivera and enduring in the Collazo battle that the real Berto was emerging. No, he wasn’t a future great, but he was all fighter. Losses to Victor Ortiz and Robert Guerrero sandwiched around a win over Jan Zaveck and being busted for trying to cheat on the road to an aborted Ortiz rematch, showed that again.
Saturday he’s matched with another man who qualifies as all fighter. Jesus Soto Karass doesn’t beat them all, but he often gives a great account and can spoil anyone’s bigger plans. Berto is the story going in; desperately needing to avoid another loss, can he win to keep his career viable? [Click Here To Read More]
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