Berto working with Conte to overcome an anemia problem before Zaveck bout

By Boxing News - 08/18/2011 - Comments

Image: Berto working with Conte to overcome an anemia problem before Zaveck boutBy Chris Williams: Former WBC welterweight champion Andre Berto (27-1, 21 KO’s) blames his poor performance in his loss to Victor Ortiz to a severe anemia problem that left him without much energy before and during the fight. The problem was discovered by Balco founder Victor Conten, and Berto has supposedly taken care of the problem and is feeling stronger with better energy.

The problem was caused by Berto over-training for the Ortiz fight, according to news from ringtv. That sounds slightly reasonable, but I’m not so sure. Berto seems to be buying that excuse and if it makes him feel better more power to him. I just think he lost to a younger, stronger fighter in Ortiz. Berto shouldn’t have any problems beating his next opponent IBF welterweight champion Jan Zaveck (31-1, 18 KO’s) on September 3rd at the Beau Rivage Resort & Casino in Biloxi, Mississippi.

Zaveck, 35, doesn’t have much speed and is kind of the opposite of Ortiz with his low work rate. This is someone that Berto can set the pace against and won’t have to worry about being outworked. But as far as Berto having anemia goes, I think it’s mumbo-jumbo, and just a label to make him feel better about having been beaten. He didn’t get beat because of anemia, he got beat because Ortiz was the stronger guy.

The same will likely happen in a rematch. Ortiz is a better conditioned fighter with power and a chin to beat Berto. Zaveck isn’t in that class, and Berto can beat him to pick up the IBF paper title. I just hope he does something with this belt instead of sitting it on it for three years like he did with the WBC title. Berto did zero with that title other than defending it against mediocre opposition all these years.



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