By Dan Ambrose: WBC welterweight champion Andre Berto (27-0, 21 KO’s) was passed over recently for a shot against World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao by Manny’s promoter Bob Arum, who instead opted to put Pacquiao in with a name fighter Shane Mosley for what appears will likely be a non competitive money fight that will help Pacquiao and Arum but no please fans. Berto wanted the fight and likely would have made it interesting for as long as it lasted. Instead, Berto is left looking for other options.

In an interview by Greg Leon at boxingtalk.com, Berto says he wants to fight “Guys like Miguel Cotto, guys like [Juan Manuel] Marquez, maybe any of the top guys coming up from 140. Maybe my mandatory. Right now I’ll fight anybody.”

A fight against Cotto would seem unlikely because Berto isn’t a Top Rank fighter and Arum seems to have Cotto’s card already filled for 2011 facing Ricardo Mayorga, a Don King fighter, and then Antonio Margarito and possibly a second fight against Manny Pacquiao. Berto likely will have problems getting a fight against Marquez as well, because it’s doubtful that the lightweight Marquez will be interested in moving up two whole weight divisions just to fight Berto. I can’t see that happening because Berto isn’t a huge star and it wouldn’t bring Marquez the kind of money that would make it worthwhile to take on someone much bigger than him. Berto really needs to stop facing smaller guys and focus on ones that are at least in the same division as him. He’s already defended his WBC title twice against light welterweights and here is he hoping to fight a lightweight. It just doesn’t look good.

Berto needs to start facing better fighters as well. Kermit Cintron is interested in fighting him but Berto has no interest in that fight unless HBO wants the fight. Who knows? They may go for that bout, although Cintron didn’t help himself in his last fight against Paul Williams this year when Cintron either leaped or tripped and fell out of the ring in the 4th round and was injured.