Andre Berto and The Road to Welterweight Respect

by Paul Magno

The Welterweight division’s best prospect just happens to be the reigning WBC Welterweight champion of the world. Don’t think that the irony of that statement is lost on the vast majority of Boxing fans.

Unfortunately, most fans of the Sweet Science are not subtle in their judgments or careful in their choice of words. The end result is a cascade of criticisms, rightful or not, for the fighter who currently holds the belt of the former lineal champ, Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Andre Berto, himself, felt the sting of some of these criticisms as he answered phone calls on a national Boxing radio show. Listeners and fans basically called in to remind Berto that he hadn’t fought anybody yet and that his upcoming bout with #1 challenger Luis Collazo, could (to put it kindly) be a bit more than he can handle.

Berto, seemingly as quick with his wit as with his fists, shot back a standard, well-practiced answer that he had to reiterate a few times throughout the course of the interview and probably more than a few times in recent months. He basically pointed out that he has been in the game for just 4 years and that his resume, while improving, is right where it should be and would stack up to any of the top welters’ at a similar stage in their careers.

This is not a satisfying answer to most fans who care little about reason when they smell the blood of what they see as an undeserving champion. However, technically, what Berto said was true.

Andre Berto is not in the peer group of Margarito, Cotto or Clottey. He belongs to the generation of upcoming stars such as Andre Ward, Chris Arreola, James Kirkland, The Peterson Brothers, Joe Greene and Peter Quillin. A group of young fighters around the ages of 23 to 25 with solid amateur careers and an average of about 4 years of professional experience apiece.

The difference between Berto and the rest is that, while the others are still considered prospects, fighting to make a name for themselves, Berto has already been to the top of the HBO food chain and has snatched up a world title on the way.

Through some shrewd management and good marketing, Berto was able to somehow find himself nestled comfortably into the #1 spot behind Floyd Mayweather in the WBC rankings. It was the perfect spot for someone with an eye on greatness but the understanding that he needs some work before that. Mayweather would provide the perfect shield for Berto, making high-profile fights while brushing his #1 challenger aside and maybe even offering some step-aside money for not making waves while “Pretty Boy” Floyd tried to sell pay per views.

However, the plan got flipped on its head when Mayweather abruptly decided to retire from the sport and, therefore, vacate his title. Now, Andre Berto and his people had no choice but to pick up the pace and take care of #2 ranked Miguel Angel Rodriguez to claim the title a lot earlier than planned.

The likeable kid from Miami has no doubt been brought up right when it comes to proper opposition and match-ups. He’s been in there against a tough ex-champ in Cosme Rivera, blue-collar journeymen like David Estrada and Norberto Bravo and, most recently, veteran slickster Steve Forbes. His resume can certainly be stacked up against any of the other young fighters of his generation.

 

But is it the resume of a reigning world champ?

If he gets by his current mandatory, well-schooled ex-champ, Luis Collazo on Saturday, Berto will have some time to stretch his wings and do some more learning on the job, but he will continue to be followed around with the questions concerning his legitimacy as world champ, questions which, while the obviously edgy type that “hardcore” fans are supposed to ask, aren’t entirely legit in and of themselves.

To put things in proper perspective, you have to take a look at the top Welters and where they were when they were at the same point as Berto, just about 4 years after their pro debut:

Margarito, Clottey and Williams were still on the club circuit, just starting to get the chance to fight veteran journeymen.

Cotto had just become 140 lb. champ and was starting to make a name against the likes of Kelson Pinto and Randall Bailey

Shane Mosley, at about the same point in his career as Berto right now, had just beaten Phillip Holiday to capture his first world title at 135.

So, upon further inspection, Andre Berto is not too far behind the curve. Actually, he’s smack-dab on the right track. But tell that to the average fan who is comparing Berto, the work in progress, to the established top dogs at 147.

It’s tough not to see this as a no-win situation for Berto. If he continues to learn on the job, gradually upping the level of his competition over time until he reaches his prime, he will be hounded by the doubters and the critics. If he jumps right into the fire and goes after the Margaritos and Cottos of the division, they may end his path to glory just as it begins, much like when the 23 year old Fernando Vargas was fed alive to Felix Trinidad back in the year 2000. Vargas was never the same after that.

For Andre Berto to come out of his predicament successfully, he’ll have to strike a balance between winnable fights that serve as learning experiences and quality defenses against fighters who have a legit chance of winning the title.

But the road to Welterweight respect won’t be easy…and it won’t even be possible unless he gets past Luis Collazo first.

A Tale of Two Prospects

by Paul Magno

This is the story of two young men, both talented and thirsty for Boxing success, who were steered in very different directions; One down the easy road of fluff fights for adoring, partisan crowds and the other, through the difficult obstacle course of going from prospect to contender to champion.

This is the story of Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and Andre Berto.

It’s not easy being a boxer and having the last name, “Chavez.” There is a lot of pressure that goes with it and a lot of expectations for greatness. The task is especially difficult when your own legend daddy is looking to have one more run at greatness through you. Combine that with the daddy’s financial woes, and you get a recipe for abuse and career mismanagement.

Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., “Olympic Hero”, would’ve been huge in Mexico and among Mexican-Americans. At the same time, the younger Chavez could’ve honed his craft in the relative safety of the amateur system until he was seasoned enough to become a pro. However, Chavez Sr.’s government debts and his massive ego, nixed the idea of his son fighting for free on the world amateur circuit. He wanted Jr. to start making money right away. After all, he was a Chavez and the Chavez family draws…and if Sr. can get his back taxes paid in the process, all the better, right?

So Chavez Jr., set off on a torrid pace of fights, using his father’s name and his Top Rank affiliation to get on the undercards of major fights. He got tons of TV exposure on some of the biggest cards in recent memory while beating up on opponents who were, to be kind, several notches below journeymen and more along the line of what you’d find in Toughman contests. Yet, the Chavez Jr. train kept rolling, sometimes once a month and never against anyone with even the most remote chance of beating him.

Rewind to 1988, while Chavez Jr., was growing up Chavez with all the privileges that go along with that, little 5 year old Andre Berto , along with his parents and 6 siblings were making the tough move from their native Haiti to Florida. His Father, a mixed martial arts trainer and fighter, began to train young Andre as a way to keep him off the streets and out of trouble. The stories are legendary about their training routines, usually having to deal with stories about miles of roadwork at an insanely young age and hours in the gym both before and after school.

Eventually, Berto was placed into several youth boxing programs and he excelled. By the time he finished his amateur career, he had won a bronze medal in the 2003 World Amateur Championships, was a two-time National Golden Gloves champion, a two-time National PAL champion and also had won 22 state titles in Florida. He represented Haiti in the 2004 Olympics after being disqualified from the US squad for an episode of roughhousing during a bout, but failed to bring home a medal.

Andre Berto turned pro about a year after Chavez Jr. and set about facing the usual fighters a young prospect fights while making a name for himself. At about the 14 fight mark, Berto’s people started bringing more quality opponents in for Berto. In his 14th pro fight he went up against veteran journeyman, Roberto Valenzuela, and came away with a first round KO. It was then that people started taking notice and the the TV cameras started to show up for Berto.

In his 17th pro fight, some questioned the logic of placing Berto against the physically tough Norberto Bravo, a Contender cast member and a well-traveled journeyman, having competed against the likes of Demetrius Hopkins, Ben Tackie, Ishe Smith, Cornelius Bundrage, Grady Brewer and Gary Balleto. He had a draw with Tackie and beat Balleto, but had lost to the rest of those names. However, he was never blown away in any of those contests and had accounted for himself well, except for his TKO loss at the hands of the much larger Bundrage.

Berto stepped up and beat the stuffing out of Bravo, scoring a TKO in the first round.

Chavez Jr, in contrast, was dispatching Ryan Maraldo in his 17th pro fight on the undercard for Morales/Pacquiao I. Maraldo was coming into the fight with a 1-4 record in his last 5 against club-level opposition. After the Chavez fight, Maraldo would go on to lose 9 of his next 10, again, against club-level opposition.

The next big step for Andre Berto was against a legitimately tough former world champ, Cosme Rivera who had recently nearly pulled off an upset against young lion Joel Julio. Rivera gave Berto his toughest contest to date and even scored a knockdown in the 6th round when a careless Berto ran right into a Rivera counter. Though clearly bothered by the knockdown, he went back, regained his composure and went on to win a unanimous decision against the tough ex-champ.

Chavez Jr.’s toughest fight would come shortly after his bout with Ryan Maraldo. Chavez would fight to a very controversial draw against the unknown Carlos Molina. After being outhustled by Molina over 6 rounds, he was given the gift of a draw- a decision that was soundly booed by his native Mexican fans in Monterrey, Mexico.

The next months would see both young fighters staying active, with Chavez Jr. fighting more often, but Berto fighting the much better opposition. While Chavez busied himself with top 200-level opposition, Berto was fighting fringe contenders like tough David Estrada, who had given Shane Mosley some problems a couple of years back and had nearly KO’d Kermit Cintron in their encounter. Chavez would top out at Jose Celaya, a top 100 ranked journeyman who, although tough, lacked any real skill-set. Celaya would end up giving Jr. a much tougher than anticipated struggle.

Now, we are in June, 2008 and both young fighters are known commodities. The difference is that while the Chavez camp went the easy route of piggybacking on Sr.’s name and opted to fight the worst of the worst, Berto’s camp worked their way up and put their young fighter in against an increasingly high level of opponent.

Chavez’s opponents could be characterized as mostly fighters who would be cannon-fodder on the club circuit. The best fighters on his resume are an undersized and punch-drunk Grover Wiley and local club-fighters Celaya and Ray Sanchez.

Berto’s resume, while not containing any real monster threats, contains skilled veteran fighters who were either former title holders or fringe contenders. Valenzuela, James Crayton, Bravo, Rivera and Estrada round out a list that also includes European champ Michel Trabant and WBC #2 ranked Miguel Angel Gonzalez.

Now, as I write this on June 22nd, Andre Berto is basking in the glow of becoming the new WBC Welterweight Champion of the World after his best performance to date, a one-sided beating of Gonzalez in a title eliminator for the vacated belt, formerly owned by Floyd Mayweather.. He is a legitimate top 10 fighter in one of the most talented divisions in the sport and has any number of money fights within his reach.

Chavez, on the other hand, is in training for his next fight in July against #127th ranked Matt Vanda in a baseball field in Hermosillo, Mexico. He will be fighting on a novelty PPV for a group of fans who mostly show up to catch a glimpse of his dad. The biggest fight on the horizon is a possible showdown with Hector Camacho Jr. later in the year. Camacho Jr. would be the best fighter by far that Chavez Jr. has ever faced.

Two young fighters headed in two very different directions. One is becoming a finely-tuned boxing machine while the other is essentially being sold out for scrap. Papa Chavez has essentially sold out his son’s future for the quick buck of being able to capitalize on his name. In the process, because of the level of opposition he has faced, Chavez Jr.’s skills have eroded and, in a lot of ways, he is a lesser fighter now than when he started his career. Meanwhile, Berto has continued to improve with each passing fight and, even with his lack of experience and seasoning, could give a lot of the top dogs at 147 a decent scrap…and, with the right focus, could be one of the elite Welters in the world in the next year or so.

Berto and Chavez Jr. will probably never meet in the ring because Chavez is already at 154 and moving up, but if they were to meet, the difference in skill and experience between the two would be obvious. You see, Berto was allowed to be a boxer while Chavez Jr. was pushed towards being an attraction.

A lot of what a boxer ends up being is determined by moves and strategies beyond his own control. Champions are not born, they are made; Made by proper matchmaking and incremental steps up the ladder until the fighter is a battled-hardened pro.

Andre Berto’s father gave him a push in the right direction and then handed over his career to people who knew what to do with a talented young fighter.

Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.’s career got lost in the massive, black-cloud ego of Julio Cesar Chavez Sr., who saw a quick buck and took it in an attempt to feed his own ego while bailing out his huge debts.

I guess, when really thinking about things, the title of this story could just as easily be, “A Tale of Two Fathers.”

The Welterweights: Fear and Loathing at 147

by Paul Magno

There is no doubt that the Welterweight division is one of the very best in all of boxing, but political and promotional conflicts could threaten to turn the 147 lb. bunch into a ball of confusion.

Here’s a look at some of the major players and significant goings on in the Welterweight division:

Miguel Cotto vs. Antonio Margarito: The Battle for Bob Arum’s Love

If Cotto boxes and moves the way he can and the way his handlers are probably telling him, he should win this one solidly, but we all know that at some point Cotto will engage and that’s when Margarito has his shot and that’s when this fight could become Fight of the Year.

It’s been said that Margarito may be the most feared man in the welter division, Well. possibly, but feared doesn’t always mean good. He’s got real power, but lacks in everything else- Like a 10 billion dollar, nuclear warhead-equipped cruise missile propped up on two cinderblocks. But he does have power and he does pose a threat if/when he can connect and if/when he has somebody offering their chin to him like Kermit Cintron.

Margarito hasn’t a prayer of outboxing Cotto, but he can hurt him and that’s why the fight is so intriguing and tough to call. If Cotto has been seriously shaken by just decent Jr. Welterweights like Ricardo Torres and “Chop Chop” Corley and bothered at times by Judah’s and Mosley’s shots, then what will happen when he gets hit by a legit, power-punching Welterweight who just happens to be a pretty decent closer?

Cotto has vastly improved his defense and general skill set in recent fights and in a perfect world, where the better fighter wins all the fights, Cotto should beat Margarito all day, every day. But as we all know- Boxing is far from being a perfect world.

Questions: Who is there to fight for the winner? The winner will probably take on Joshua Clottey if Clottey beats Judah, but after that the only fights to be made are against the problematic Paul Williams, the “retired” Floyd Mayweather and the aging Shane Mosley. A win for the more marketable, better-skilled Cotto would probably be better for the overall health of the division since a Margarito win just may take the division back into the dark days when Margarito ruled over the WBO title by fighting one weak opponent after another.

Floyd Mayweather’s Crusade Against Himself.

The linear and WBC king of the Welterweight division is acting just like a real king- He sits on his throne, content to let the little guys beneath him dirty their hands and knock each other off.

But like most royalty, the throne has gone to his head and he needs to touch base with reality. Mayweather needs to understand that all the Wrestlemania’s, Dancing with the Stars’ and BET appearances don’t mean half as much to his financial success as one dominant win over a top fighter. Mayweather is a boxer and every other side gig he does is based around that fact.

He hasn’t fought as bad a level of competition as his critics say, but he hasn’t fought the Alphabet Soup-rated fighters that some fans insist on.

If his recently announced retirement is for real, everybdy at 147 gets bumped up a slot; If it’s just a publicity stunt or a tantrum, look for Mayweather to fight some of those Alphabet Soup fighters and champs in ’09 since, after Oscar, there are no other big money/easy money fights out there.

If he is indeed retired, he will be missed- not only for his unmatched skills and abilities, but for his unique ability to produce the most marvelously girlish hissy fits in otherwise battle-hardened, jaded boxing pundits.

Questions: How long will Mayweather stay “retired?” How well will he be able to do business with ex-promoter and hated rival, Bob Arum. Seeing that Arum has Cotto, Margarito and Clottey in his stable, at some point Mayweather and Top Rank will have to do business with each other if they want mega-paydays in ’09.

Paul Williams Smashes Carlos Quintana: Revenge is a Dish Best Served with an 82 inch Straight Left Hand.

With Williams crushing Quintana recently, its hard to deny the fact that the Williams bandwagon has begun to roll again…And why not?

If a tall, southpaw boxer with an 82 inch reach who throws 100+ punches per round is a terror- how about a motivated one who has begun to hit with power and with bad intentions? Yikes!

If rival promoters and trainers were hesitant to pick up a call from Williams’ people before, its a lock that, after watching Williams/Quintana II, they have ripped their phones right off the wall.

When the new WBO rankings come out, Shane Mosley should be Williams’ #1 contender. You can’t get more of an intriguing match-up than Williams/Mosley- That’s if Mosley even decides to take such a fight.

Questions: Will Williams be able to coax another top Welterweight into a fight before the lanky “Punisher” simply outgrows the division?

Joshua Clottey vs. Zab Judah: The War to Stay Off of Basic Cable

This bout for Antonio Margarito’s soon to be vacated IBF strap will be the last stop on one of these guy’s train schedule. Next Stop…Versus and Fox Sports!!!

Clottey is the tough luck kid among the Welterweight class. Despite being a prospect since the Clinton administration, Clottey has yet to pull off the big one and his time is running out. He is 0-2 in his only fights with future or current world champs. He was clearly ahead against Carlos Baldomir when he got himself disqualified and he was ahead of Margarito and making Margarito look foolish until he hurt his hands and was forced to limp across the finish line with a close Split Decision loss.

Despite the hard luck, if Clottey goes 0-3 in big fights, he can no longer be considered a prospect and has to go back to the end of the line once again. Unfortunately, He isn’t well-known enough to get preferential treatment and he’s too good to get the benefit of the doubt.

Judah, on the other hand has the type of bad luck that is 100% self-inflicted.

Despite having the ability to easily beat Baldomir, he was out-hustled and beaten and despite doing well early on against Mayweather and Cotto, he let things slip. He lacked the discipline to continue the game plan that was proving effective against Mayweather and he lacked the focus to realize just how badly he had hurt Cotto a couple of times early in their fight.

Judah may just be a shot fighter at this point, too. His reaction time has been slower than normal against weak competition recently and his attitude has been sluggish. A loss for Judah would hopefully mean the end of his career before he suffers any further, permanent damage. A win for Judah would allow for him to hand over the title to Mosley or Williams in his next fight.

Questions: Does Judah have anything left? Does Clottey have what it takes to pull off a big win in a spotlight fight?

Shane Mosley: All Dressed Up with Nowhere to Go

Just a couple of months ago, the world was at Mosley’s feet. He was coming off of a close decision loss to Cotto and was in final preparations for a PPV encounter with Zab Judah as well as a title fight with Quintana should both fighters get past their respective opponents.

Now, he is a 36 year old, world-class fighter with no one to fight.

Cotto has shown absolutely no inclination to give Shane a rematch; The fight with Judah fell apart thanks to an angry shower door and Quintana was blown out by Williams.
Mosley’s options at Welter are to either wait to be installed as William’s new mandatory and work through an extremely tough match-up with Williams or just wait for the outcome of Clottey/Judah and hope to pick up the scraps. A Clottey win would mean that Mosley probably wouldn’t get within sniffing distance of the IBF, WBA or WBC crowns until late ’09 at the earliest- a death sentence for a finesse fighter in his late 30’s. A win for Judah would possibly mean a shot at the IBF crown sooner rather than later and a good chance to become a world champ again.

Questions: How long can Mosley’s reflexes hold out before he becomes just a smart and skilled but otherwise ordinary top 10 fighter?

The Best of the Rest

Luis Collazo: Between a Rock and a Hard Head

Despite going 0-2 in his last two big fights, Collazo is a crafty, legit ex-champ and top 10 Welterweight who can hang in there with anyone.

He’s too unheralded to gain much from beating him and too good to look impressive against. No wonder lines haven’t been forming to fight him.

Kermit Cintron: It’s not Easy Being Green

When talking about Cintron, “Green” is the operative word because, despite being a two-time world champion and training under Emmanuel Steward, he lacks some of the most fundamental basics of the sport.

Its a cliché to say that Cintron has all the tools to be an excellent fighter, so I won’t say it- but the word “Tool” would be another operative word when talking about Cintron. Who calls out the fighter that KO’d you previously only to fight a worse fight the second time out and get KO’d easier? Geez, “Tool” is the operative word there, as in “Kermit Cintron is a tool.”

Carlos Quintana: Will the Real “Indio” Please Stand Up?

Quintana’s career has suffered from a real case of split personalities. Is Quintana the fighter who schooled Joel Julio and fought the perfect fight against Paul Williams or is he the fighter who got blown away by Miguel Cotto and in the rematch with Williams?

He needs to make up his mind fast and pick one or the other before he gets swarmed by the rest of the Welterweights looking to become champion.

Andre Berto: Fact or Fiction?

Berto’s been brought up the right way and he’s faced a decent level of competition for the level he’s at. The odd problem for him is that he’s the WBC’s #1 ranked contender and he will soon be the IBF’s #1 contender. How long can Berto resist the urge of taking a shot at a title and a big payday? We may never know if Berto’s a real player or not if he takes those fights and bites off more than he can chew. At this point of his career, he’s simply not ready for the upper ranks of the stacked Welterweight division.

Cosme Rivera, David Estrada and Jesse Feliciano: The Journeymen

Every division needs a Rocky Balboa-like underdog and who better than 3, grizzled pros with nothing but hearts and guts? These veteran journeymen have become the gatekeepers of the division.

Rivera was the first person to knock down Andre Berto and was within a few seconds of stopping Joel Julio in what turned out to be a narrow decision loss for the ex-champ, Rivera. Just recently he beat undefeated Colombian prospect Raul Pinzon via TKO. Rivera is still only 31 years old and may be making a real run at getting back in the championship picture.

Estrada is the hard-core action fighter who gave Shane Mosley a tougher than expected fight and rocked Kermit Cintron and was ahead on all 3 judge’s scorecards before being KO’d in the 10th. Estrada will fight any and all comers and is a tough nut to crack.

Feliciano is all toughness and action. He will fight every second of every round and despite not having the greatest of technical skills, he can give anyone a real fight. He may be on a par with most club fighters when it comes to technique, but his accomplishments speak for themselves: He fought a much tougher than expected fight against Cintron before getting stopped late, he laid out former Welterweight prospect Delvin Rodriguez, he scored an upset win over ex-champ Vince Phillips and has gone 1-1-1 with the Contender’s Alfonso Gomez.

Isaac Hlatswayo, Michael Jennings, Yuri Nuzhnenko, Jackson Bonsu, Francisco Bojado: The Foreign Exchange.

Technically, 3 of these fighters are belt holders. Hlatswayo holds the IBO strap, Jennings holds the WBU title and Nuzhnenko is the Interim WBA champ. Technically, these foreign fighters have a combined 134-6 record. The reality, though, is that none of these guys have a real name on their resumes and none would make a serious run at the elite Welters. With the right mojo and the right promotion they may be able to raise a minor stink in the lower part of the division’s top 10.

Ricky Hatton, Steve Forbes, Demetrius Hopkins, Vivian Harris, Junior Witter: Terror from Below or Just a Bunch of Little Guys Wanting Big Money?

While Hatton has proven to be out of his league at 147, there is no doubting the kind of attention and money he can produce. Any Welterweight would be crazy to reject a possible Hatton match up while Hatton just may be crazy enough before retiring to make one last run at making an impact in the sport’s current glamour division.

The rest of these natural 140 pounders mentioned have good enough skills to make any fight at Welter interesting with Forbes and Hopkins having the greatest possibility to pull off an upset. Forbes already holds a handful of good wins at Welterweight (Bojado, Quinonez) and held his ground against a 150 lb Oscar De la Hoya while Hopkins has beaten Forbes.

Final Thoughts (ala Jerry Springer):

From one to ten, the Welterweight division is better than any other division in the sport, but the window of opportunity to turn this era into a Golden Age for Welterweights is quickly closing. The rest of ’08 and ’09 will have to be the time to make the fights that pride and politics didn’t permit earlier. At some point Mosley and Judah will retire and Williams, Margarito and Collazo will move up in weight. What will be left is a very good Cotto beating very suspect challengers and the chance to make some of the best possible match-ups of our era will be gone forever.

For the sake of the division, let’s hope that Mayweather is not really retired and that he comes back from his break with a more realistic attitude. There is no one who attracts more attention to the 147 pound clan than “Money” and no one who sets the internet ablaze like the current 147 lb. and Pound 4 Pound champ. The promise of a fight with Mayweather has contributed to the relative stillness in the division as nobody really wanted to risk a loss if they felt they had the possibility of a 7-figure payday in their future. But the promise of a fight with the champ could also push the division to greater heights if the cards are played right. For Crissake, this is the division of “Sugar” Ray Robinson, “Sugar” Ray Leonard, Roberto Duran, Tommy Hearns and Pernell Whitaker!

Here’s hoping that the next 18 months or so give us more memories than my Margarita-addled mind can handle…