Before there was an Errol Spence Jr., a Jaron Ennis, or a Terence Crawford – Andre Berto was the man to beat at 147 pounds.
The former Olympian had it all. Speed, power, an incredibly high ring IQ, and the swagger that made all the pieces fit together perfectly.
In 2011, however, things came crashing down. The proud Haitian native would lose his WBC title to Victor Ortiz. One year later, he would come up short against Robert Guerrero. Since then, Berto’s appearances in the ring have waned. Officially, he hasn’t stepped through those ropes since picking up a victory against Devon Alexander in 2018.
For some fans, considering that Berto has been both out of sight and out of mind, he was viewed as a retired fighter. Nevertheless, he never came out and said he was done with the sport. Now, seemingly out of nowhere, Berto believes it’s time to jump back into the spotlight.
“We’re fighting November 25th,” revealed Berto to FightHype’s Sean Zittel. “Me and Robert Guerrero.”
The welterweight division is filled to the brim with talented fighters looking to make a name for themselves. And while Berto has always been willing to take on the young guns, settling the score with Guerrero was number one on his agenda.
At the age of 40, Berto’s boxing morality is staring him directly in the face. Although he could, it isn’t likely that the former champ will push to go on another run. In his book, exiting stage left is inevitable. He’s also fine doing so without fighting for a world title. According to the accomplished veteran, he’s essentially done it all. But before he officially hangs up his gloves for good and walks away, he needs to prove that Guerrero never was and never will be a better fighter than he is.
“My team been trying to get me in for at least one more just so I can finish off how I wanna finish off. This is something that I definitely wanted to get back before I left the game.”