Andre Berto and Victor Ortiz get set to meet once again

By Kasim Aslam: Victor Ortiz (29-3-23KO’s) and Andre Berto (28-1-22KO’s) are set to to slug it out once again as their proposed second fight has been cemented with a venue which is to be announced.

The rematch had always been anticipated from fight fans across the world especially as Berto vacated his IBF welterweight belt which paved the way for another exciting encounter. According to ESPN the sequel will be fought on either January 28th or February 11th.

In their first Match Ortiz and Berto boxed an entertaining and vastly memorable fight that ended with Ortiz the champion. The fight had constant back and forth action with both fighters being knocked down twice. The wild 6th round was summed up the epic encounter with a diehard and spirited performance from the two young warriors.

A rematch was touted straight after the fight and how now finally materialized into reality. After the first fight both fighter have had mixed fortunes. Ortiz was defeated in the well publicized fight against pound for pound champion Floyd Mayweather which caused a great deal of controversy and Andre Berto won the IBF title after stopping Dejan Zavec in the 5th round.

Both fighters would have been disappointed with their respective performances showcasing only a small percentage of their wide array of talent.

For Berto his victory has meant that he would go into the fight with momentum and confidence to try and exact his revenge on Ortiz. He told ESPN “It’s a fight that I want more than a world championship, I love my title, but then again, I want to give the fans what they want to see.”

Meanwhile, Ortiz suffered a knockout defeat which has highlighted some criticism of Ortiz and his lack of concentration. There is no doubt that Ortiz has the talent to dispatch Berto for a second time with his speed and power but needs to concentrate as two straight losses would significantly hold him back, an outcome he has to avoid. Both fighters will be eager to prove that their skill and ability can be in the same field as those at the top of the game and for fight fans we can expect another classic.

The biggest surprise came from the announcement that the fight will be televised through Showtime instead of HBO, raising many eyebrows as the dominance of HBO had lead many to believe that they would be given the rights.

Lou DiBella, Berto’s promoter told ESPN “Showtime’s offer was the highest in the marketplace. It’s good to know that they’re in the game and that a fight of this quality had interest from both networks. Competition in the marketplace is a good thing. As Andre Berto’s promoter, I am very grateful for the loyalty and investment HBO made in Berto over the years, and I know Andre is also.”

There is no doubt that HBO have missed out on capturing the lucrative fight and could lead to shake up between the two networks with fighter such as James Kirkland going from HBO to Showtime. In reality it doesn’t matter whether it’s on Showtime or HBO, what matters is that the fight has been made and the two are set to go toe to toe once again

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