LOS ANGELES ? Victor Ortiz and Andre Berto say they don?t make New Year?s resulotions, but if the two welterweight contenders did it?s clear after a recent press conference for their anticipated rematch that their No. 1 goal for 2012 is to do better in their Feb. 11 showdown than they did in their first bout, a fight-of-the-year candidate for 2011.
Ortiz won the first bout, which took place in April, by hard-fought unanimous decision, despite being a huge underdog to the undefeated WBC titleholder. For six rounds, the HBO-televised bout was as good as boxing gets. The two explosive welterweights engaged in a shootout that resulted in Berto being floored in the first round, Ortiz hitting the deck in the second and then both boxer-punchers trading knockdowns in the unforgettable sixth round.
Ortiz, who surprised many observers by being the stronger, more aggressive fighter down the stretch, outworked Berto over the second half of the fight to win by scores of 115-110, 114-111 and 114-112. Berto boxed well enough in spots during the late rounds to eke out a decision in the eyes of several prominent members of the ringside media, including Dan Rafael, Ron Borges, Tim Smith and Steve Farhood.
However, he took no solace in the press row scorecards. Berto knew he could have fought better and that Ortiz had seized the moment.
