By Chris Williams: Dan Rafael of ESPN is reporting that World Boxing Council welterweight champion Andre Berto (25-0, 19 KO’s) could be facing former IBF light welterweight champion Paulie Malignaggi (27-3, 5 KO’s) on April 10th, possibly at New York’s Madison Square Garden. Berto, 26, was supposed to have fought WBA welterweight champion Shane Mosley on January 30th, but because of the tragic earthquake that struck Haiti recently, killing some of the members of Berto’s extended family, he had to cancel the unification bout with Mosley.
Berto has been out of action for the past nine months needs an opponent to get back in the ring to stay sharp. Malignaggi, 29, happens to be free after turning down a fight against WBA light welterweight champion Amir Khan. Malignaggi has been considered by a number of fighters for a bout, mainly because he remains a popular fighter despite having been beaten in two out of his last four fights in the past two years.
It doesn’t hurt Malignaggi any that he has little power and isn’t much of a threat to beat up or stop his opponents. Berto might be better off facing someone in his own weight class, though. In Berto’s last three fights since winning the vacant WBC welterweight crown in a battle against Miguel Angel Rodriguez in June 2008, Berto has beaten the following fighters Steve Forbes, Luis Collazo and Juan Urango.
Of those opponents, two of them were essentially light welterweights instead of welterweights, and if Berto moves forward with the fight against Malignaggi, it would be Berto’s third fight against a light welterweight in his last four bouts. Berto might as well down to the light welterweight division if there are the types of opponents that he’s going to be fighting.
After all, Berto isn’t a big welterweight himself at only 5’8”, and looked absolutely horrible in his battle against Collazo in January 2009. Berto might be better off moving down to the light welterweight division so he can fight those guys without taking any heat. I think apart from Devon Alexander and Timothy Bradley, both of whom I see beating Berto, I think would dominate for awhile at that weight.
At welterweight, Berto has more problems once he starts actually fighting the guys in the division instead of selecting light welterweights to fight most of the time. It’s really too bad that he didn’t fight Mosley. I think it would have been a good fight and it would have showed whether Berto has the talent to compete with a good welterweight. I don’t know that Berto would have won, but it would have given boxing fans a good indication of how good Berto is, because he would be fighting the best opponent of his career.
Mosley easily handed Collazo in the past, beating him by a one-sided 12 round decision in 2007. Berto went life and death with Collazo, and ended up winning a questionable 12 round decision. There probably should have been a rematch between Berto and Collazo, because the fight left a lot of unanswered questions about who the better fighter is.
Based on his size advantage, Berto should be able to handle Malignaggi without any problems. I don’t see this as a competitive fight, and I don’t understand what the appeal in Berto fighting a slender, non-puncher like Malignaggi.
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