Berto bides his time and plies his trade
Andre Berto has a long list of skills that combine to make him one of the world's elite boxers.
He's strong, he's fast and he's quick. He can take a punch, but oh, can he give one. He's courageous and fearless, willing to take on all comers. He proved in his gutty victory over veteran Luis Collazo in January that he can raise his game at the appropriate time when things aren't going his way.
But of all the marvelous skills packed into that rock-hard 147-pound body of his, the one that means the most is perhaps the most difficult to quantify.
It's his patience.
Berto, who will defend his WBC welterweight belt against super lightweight titleholder Juan Urango on Saturday in the main event of an HBO televised card from Hollywood, Fla., is in perhaps boxing's hottest division.
There is a long list of huge moneymakers in and around his class, men it would make sense, at least from a boxing standpoint, for him to fight.
But you've never heard Floyd Mayweather Jr. mention Berto's name as a potential opponent. And, if truth be told, you never will.
Manny Pacquiao hasn't been calling him out.
Nor have Shane Mosley, Miguel Cotto or Antonio Margarito.
To the many superstars who populate the talent-laden 147-pound division, Berto seems persona non grata.
Berto, though, accepts the slights with equanimity. He's 25 and a world champion with 24 wins in 24 fights, two successful title defenses and 19 knockouts.
Berto would love to fight guys like Mayweather, Pacquiao, Mosley and Cotto, because they'd not only bring a big payday but would help provide him with almost instant name recognition, which would then translate to more larger paydays down the road.
But because Berto is not a household name, none of the big stars are too inclined to fight him. They want to fight other stars who have equally big names and are firmly established as ticket sellers.
Berto, 25, has an abiding faith in his natural abilities and knows that while he's waiting for the big fight to land on his doorstep, he'll be able to use the time to further improve himself.
"It's not really frustrating," Berto said of being shut out, for the time being, of the big-money fights. "Most of those guys have been around for 10-plus years and they've earned what they're getting. It's not even five years since I came out of the Olympic Games. I'm not going to let myself be bothered by it. I'm fighting good guys, but they're not as well-known as some of these other fighters. And while I'm doing this, I'm learning every day."
Berto defeated the wily Collazo in what could turn out to be the Fight of the Year by rallying in the second half of a fight in which he concedes he was not prepared as he should be.
After winning a title and defending it against veteran Steve Forbes, Berto began to enjoy the fruits of victory and, albeit briefly, forgot what it was that made him a budding star. He trained nowhere near diligently enough against Collazo and no one knows that better than Berto.
"What happened in that fight is definitely my fault," Berto said. "For the first time in my career, physically and mentally, I didn't come into a fight prepared the way I should have. There's a lot of things I normally do I didn't do for that fight."
In an odd way, it may have turned out to have be an unexpected boost for his career. Collazo is a quality fighter and he came determined to win the title. Berto fell far behind early and had to lift his game in order to keep his championship.
The result was a compelling bout seen by millions of viewers that had to establish Berto in their minds as a must-see attraction.
"Berto, of all the welterweights out there, is one of the most televised guys in the division," promoter Lou DiBella said. "The fight with Collazo made him a lot of fans. Urango is an exciting kind of a guy and so this should be a good television fight.
"I don't think there's anything he can do right now to get in the mix with guys like Pacquiao and Mayweather. So the thing for Andre is to keep putting him in front of the people in entertaining fights. He's an incredible television fighter. He's building himself quite a nice little reputation."
By the end of the year, perhaps, one of the division's big names may then consider him. By that point, Berto may be 26-0 and someone like Mosley or Cotto may look in his direction.
And when that call finally comes, Berto promises he'll be prepared. He's never going to repeat the going through the motions camp he had when he got ready for Collazo. His father, Dieuseul, has seen to that. Berto worked extraordinarily hard in camp for Urango, staying at home in Winter Haven, Fla., where, he says, "there is nothing, absolutely nothing, to do, but train."
He's putting in the work and biding his time. If he keeps that attitude, he won't be a no-name forever.
"I'm learning the business, I'm learning about myself and my body and what I can and can't do," Berto said. "I'm still young and I know there's a lot to learn. I have things I have to continue to work on, but I can see it's starting to come together pretty good."
