By Chris Williams: WBC welterweight champion Andre Berto (22-0, 19 KOs) could have a big chance in the future for a potential but against Shane Mosley if Berto defeats challenger Steve Forbes (33-6, 9 KOs) tonight in a 12-round WBC title bout at the Staples Center, in Los Angeles, California. However, Berto, 25, thought to be the weakest of the four welterweight champions by many boxing fans, may have his problems with the crafty, counter-punching Forbes, who looks like a weaker version of Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Indeed, Forbes, 31, may have had his share of problems against the much bigger Oscar De La Hoya in his last fight in May, but against the short 5’8″ Berto, Forbes, a former IBF super featherweight champion, won’t have to worry about a reach disadvantage like he suffered in his last fight. Berto is easily one of the most entertaining of the welterweight’s in the division, with blazing fast hands, a tendency to slug it out with his opponents and a wide open defense which leaves him open constantly for shots from his opponents. For that reason, Berto is so exciting, because even against merely moderately good welterweights, Berto sometimes has to struggle to win, taking a tremendous amount of punishment along the way. Forbes, however, isn’t easy to hit, ducking shots, using a shoulder roll and upper body movement to get out of the way of punches. Berto will have to have a plan B to use just in case he’s not able to overwhelm him with punches like he often does to his other opponents.
The usual offensive tactics by Berto, such as his fast flurries and uppercuts, may not be effective against Forbes, who typically doesn’t stand in close range to his opponents on the inside, and instead moves in and out with shots. Berto needs to try and apply pressure, because if he allows Forbes to come in and bang away with fast flurries and then escape, Berto, more of a slugger, won’t have the ability to land his more flurries. Berto tends to do better against a fighter that is there for him to walk down and get his shots in against. Forbes, however, is the exact opposite of those kinds of fighters, and will make Berto have to work if he wants to create opportunities in the fight.
Berto, if he’s successful in defeating Forbes, he has number #1 WBC welterweight contender Luis Collazo waiting in the wings for a title shot. That fight would be much like his fight with Forbes, where the power punching Berto would again have to face a defensive expert with speed and the ability to move. That’ll likely be just as tough a fight as the one with Forbes, perhaps even harder for Berto.
However, if Berto wants to get into the big money fights, he’s going to need a fight with Mosley, or a unification match with one of the other welterweight title holders, Paul Williams, Joshua Clottey or Antonio Margarito. Of the bunch, Margarito is the best option, but he also would be a long shot for a fight with for the time being, because Margarito will likely have his plate completely full in 2009, starting with a rematch with Miguel Cotto.