lpinoy
10-07-2010, 04:18 AM
C/P
By Dan Rafael
Welterweight titlist Andre Berto is not getting the big fight he had hoped for, instead settling for fringe contender Freddy Hernandez as his next opponent.
Berto will make his fifth title defense against Hernandez on Nov. 27 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas in the middle fight of an HBO "World Championship Boxing" tripleheader.
"Freddy Hernandez is a strong fighter and this fight will be a good test for me to close the year," Berto said Tuesday. "I plan on putting on a good show and hope that my performance on Nov. 27 will set up a big 2011 for me and the mega-fights that I've been wanting and that everyone wants to see me in."
In previously announced bouts on the card, Mexico's Juan Manuel Marquez (51-5-1, 37 KOs) defends the lightweight world championship against interim titlist Michael Katsidis (27-2, 22 KOs) of Australia in the main event. Junior featherweight titlist Celestino Caballero (34-2, 23 KOs) of Panama will move up to junior lightweight to face Jason Litzau (27-2, 21 KOs) of St. Paul, Minn., in the opener.
Berto (26-0, 20 KOs) had a fight with Shane Mosley planned for January, but it was called off after an earthquake in Haiti killed eight members of Berto's family and he withdrew. Mosley went on to face Floyd Mayweather Jr. in May instead. When Berto returned, he knocked out former titlist Carlos Quintana in the eighth round in April.
Talks to put the fight with Mosley back together failed over financial differences between the camps, so Berto was relegated to an undercard against Hernandez.
Berto, 27, of Winter Haven, Fla., was supposed to face Turkish mandatory challenger Selcuk Aydin, another opponent with little name recognition in the United States, but Aydin rejected the fight, according to Lou DiBella, Berto's promoter.
"Berto wanted a bigger fight but he understood we couldn't do it," DiBella said. "We tried. Other promotional companies know we tried. With respect to Aydin, the kid wasn't coming over here for the money that there was, period."
Instead, DiBella negotiated a step-aside deal with Aydin co-promoters Ahmet Öner of Arena-Box and Don King that will allow Berto to keep his belt while he and Aydin take interim fights.
"Öner said there was an issue with the fighter about the money that was available and we offered him well over what the purse bid amount would have been," DiBella said. "Obviously, HBO wasn't going to Turkey to do the fight. In the meantime, maybe Aydin can build himself into someone we'll fight in the future. But Andre is not going to look past Freddy Hernandez because he knows he doesn't get the big fight if he doesn't get past Freddy Hernandez."
Once Aydin was out of the picture, Hernandez got the fight after HBO picked him from a list of three potential opponents. The list included former title challenger Sebastian Lujan of Argentina and Canada-based Romanian Ionut "Jo Jo" Dan, who lost a controversial decision to Aydin in Turkey in June.
"HBO picked Freddy Hernandez because of his straight-ahead style, because he has some pop and because he hasn't lost in five years," DiBella said.
Hernandez (29-1, 20 KOs), 31, lost a split decision to Golden Johnson in 2005 and has run the table since, including knockout wins against former junior welterweight titlist DeMarcus "Chop Chop" Corley and former junior lightweight titlist Mike Anchondo in his last two bouts, both of which were nationally televised.
"Freddy hasn't lost in five years and he's very durable," Gary Shaw, Hernandez's promoter said. "He's slower than Berto but he's probably the biggest puncher Berto has faced. Freddy is very excited. He thinks it's a great opportunity for him. A fighter's dream is to get on HBO and to fight for a world title and he gets to do it at the same time. If he catches Berto on the chin it could be lights out. Freddy has deceiving power. He's slow, but he has power and a sneaky punch you don't see it coming."
Said DiBella: "I think Berto is a better fighter, but Hernandez is going to fight his ass off and he's coming off one of the most impressive wins of his career against Anchondo [on Sept. 17]. He's good enough not to be a guy you look past. Obviously, it's the not the kind of big fight we were looking for. But after this, we'll look to make the biggest fight possible. If Shane Mosley wants a shot, let's sit down and have a legitimate, fair negotiation. But a big fight will happen for Berto next come hell or high water."
By Dan Rafael
Welterweight titlist Andre Berto is not getting the big fight he had hoped for, instead settling for fringe contender Freddy Hernandez as his next opponent.
Berto will make his fifth title defense against Hernandez on Nov. 27 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas in the middle fight of an HBO "World Championship Boxing" tripleheader.
"Freddy Hernandez is a strong fighter and this fight will be a good test for me to close the year," Berto said Tuesday. "I plan on putting on a good show and hope that my performance on Nov. 27 will set up a big 2011 for me and the mega-fights that I've been wanting and that everyone wants to see me in."
In previously announced bouts on the card, Mexico's Juan Manuel Marquez (51-5-1, 37 KOs) defends the lightweight world championship against interim titlist Michael Katsidis (27-2, 22 KOs) of Australia in the main event. Junior featherweight titlist Celestino Caballero (34-2, 23 KOs) of Panama will move up to junior lightweight to face Jason Litzau (27-2, 21 KOs) of St. Paul, Minn., in the opener.
Berto (26-0, 20 KOs) had a fight with Shane Mosley planned for January, but it was called off after an earthquake in Haiti killed eight members of Berto's family and he withdrew. Mosley went on to face Floyd Mayweather Jr. in May instead. When Berto returned, he knocked out former titlist Carlos Quintana in the eighth round in April.
Talks to put the fight with Mosley back together failed over financial differences between the camps, so Berto was relegated to an undercard against Hernandez.
Berto, 27, of Winter Haven, Fla., was supposed to face Turkish mandatory challenger Selcuk Aydin, another opponent with little name recognition in the United States, but Aydin rejected the fight, according to Lou DiBella, Berto's promoter.
"Berto wanted a bigger fight but he understood we couldn't do it," DiBella said. "We tried. Other promotional companies know we tried. With respect to Aydin, the kid wasn't coming over here for the money that there was, period."
Instead, DiBella negotiated a step-aside deal with Aydin co-promoters Ahmet Öner of Arena-Box and Don King that will allow Berto to keep his belt while he and Aydin take interim fights.
"Öner said there was an issue with the fighter about the money that was available and we offered him well over what the purse bid amount would have been," DiBella said. "Obviously, HBO wasn't going to Turkey to do the fight. In the meantime, maybe Aydin can build himself into someone we'll fight in the future. But Andre is not going to look past Freddy Hernandez because he knows he doesn't get the big fight if he doesn't get past Freddy Hernandez."
Once Aydin was out of the picture, Hernandez got the fight after HBO picked him from a list of three potential opponents. The list included former title challenger Sebastian Lujan of Argentina and Canada-based Romanian Ionut "Jo Jo" Dan, who lost a controversial decision to Aydin in Turkey in June.
"HBO picked Freddy Hernandez because of his straight-ahead style, because he has some pop and because he hasn't lost in five years," DiBella said.
Hernandez (29-1, 20 KOs), 31, lost a split decision to Golden Johnson in 2005 and has run the table since, including knockout wins against former junior welterweight titlist DeMarcus "Chop Chop" Corley and former junior lightweight titlist Mike Anchondo in his last two bouts, both of which were nationally televised.
"Freddy hasn't lost in five years and he's very durable," Gary Shaw, Hernandez's promoter said. "He's slower than Berto but he's probably the biggest puncher Berto has faced. Freddy is very excited. He thinks it's a great opportunity for him. A fighter's dream is to get on HBO and to fight for a world title and he gets to do it at the same time. If he catches Berto on the chin it could be lights out. Freddy has deceiving power. He's slow, but he has power and a sneaky punch you don't see it coming."
Said DiBella: "I think Berto is a better fighter, but Hernandez is going to fight his ass off and he's coming off one of the most impressive wins of his career against Anchondo [on Sept. 17]. He's good enough not to be a guy you look past. Obviously, it's the not the kind of big fight we were looking for. But after this, we'll look to make the biggest fight possible. If Shane Mosley wants a shot, let's sit down and have a legitimate, fair negotiation. But a big fight will happen for Berto next come hell or high water."