It’s been five years since former welterweight champions Andre Berto and Victor Ortiz put on their 2011 Fight of the Year contender. This Saturday, the pair will hope to recapture the magic of their epic brawl in a rematch on FOX. It’s a bout that’s been more than four years in the making, having been postponed twice since February 2012.
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Victor Ortiz
Andre Berto
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THINGS HAVE CHANGED
Both men are much different fighters than they were in 2011, when Ortiz knocked down Berto twice to score a mild upset decision. Fans eagerly anticipated a rematch the next year, but was postponed when Berto tore his biceps and then cancelled when he tested positive for steroids.
It’s been awhile since either has been considered top contenders. Ortiz lost three straight after beating Berto, dropping bouts to Floyd Mayweather Jr., Josesito Lopez and Luis Ortiz. He bounced back in his last two fights with wins over Manuel Perez and Gilberto Sanchez Leon -- but none of those guys can be considered top competition.
Technically, Berto is ranked #3 by the WBC, which could justify a title shot against Danny Garcia should he beat Ortiz. At 32, the former champion handily lost a 12-round decision to Floyd Mayweather in his last bout, bringing his record to 2-3 in his past five.
FIGHT ANALYSIS
This isn’t a matchup with much significance, but it sounds like a lot of fun considering their all-out brawl in 2011. I’d lean slightly towards Berto this time around, as Ortiz had to take on two scrubs to stop a career freefall. While rankings don’t mean much in boxing these days, Berto’s higher ranking by the WBC has some merit to it.
With Ortiz, you never know what you’re going to get. He’s turned into a hugger as of late, but let’s hope the old brawler comes out again for the rematch. Unfortunately, he’s a guy whose career has been marred by inconsistency, and fans never know which version of Ortiz they’re gonna get. He was at his career best against Berto, so perhaps he has his number.
Berto seemed to be regaining his form until he ran into Floyd Mayweather, but Money has a habit of making fighters looks bad. If anything, his dropoff hasn’t been as steep as Ortiz’, and he’s been far more consistent when it comes to fighting at a high level. I’ll give the slight edge to Berto this time around.
BOXING ODDS: Andre Berto UD Victor Ortiz
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