By Jason Kim: Former IBF/WBC welterweight champion Andre Berto (28-1, 22 KO’s) got some good news earlier today when it was learned that the California State Athletic Commission has approved the 28-year-old Berto for a boxing license in California. This comes after Berto tested positive when tested several months earlier by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) while training to get ready for a rematch against Victor Ortiz.

The rematch was then cancelled after Berto’s positive drug test, however. But the testing found only trace amounts of a banned substance, enough to where it’s highly possible that the test was triggered by a contaminated health product that Berto took.

As it is this is good news for boxing because having Berto’s career sidelined with this positive test took away one of the best fighters in the welterweight division.

It’s unclear who Berto will face now. He last fought in September of last year when he beat IBF welterweight champion Jan Zaveck by a 5th round stoppage. Berto was supposed to fight Ortiz shortly after that but Berto suffered a ruptured left bicep while training. He eventually recovered from that injury and was in training for a June 23rd rematch against Ortiz but then the fight was cancelled after Berto’s positive drug test.

It would be nice to see Berto face a top contender in his next fight. He’s already lost a year of his career due to the bicep injury and the positive drug test. It might be a waste of time for Berto to take a step backwards and start fighting tune-ups, because he’d then lost even more time.