By Michael Lieberman: It was reported that WBC welterweight champion Andre Berto (27-0 21 KO’s) likes the idea of facing little lightweight Juan Manuel Marquez in 2011. I think that would be a terrible idea if Berto wants to be taken seriously as a fighter.
Berto has already been feasting on light welterweights during the two years that he’s held the World Boxing Council welterweight title. I don’t know what his promoter Lou Dibella doesn’t have Berto just move down in weight so that Berto could fight light welterweights all the time instead of every other fight.
If Berto isn’t going to be moving down, which he says he won’t do, then he at least should fight someone like Paul Williams or another top level welterweight. I think William would be a great fight for Berto, because Williams would be able to make Berto fight and bring out the best or worst in him.
I kind of doubt that Berto would take a fight against Williams, because Berto doesn’t have the kind of power that WBC middleweight champion Sergio Martinez possesses and he wouldn’t be able to count on getting Williams out of there.
Williams would match up really well Berto, because he would take his shots and would badly outwork him. Berto’s style of fighting has evolved into a punch and clinch style, although he did break from that style in his last fight against Freddy Hernandez in November when Berto took Hernandez out in the 1st round. But the fight didn’t last long enough for Berto’s punch and clinch style to start rearing its ugly head.
Berto and his promoter supposedly want a big named opponent in 2011, and I see no reason why they shouldn’t go after Williams if they’re serious about wanting to take on the best welterweights, and not best lightweights or light welterweights.
Comments are closed.