Saturday nights fights represented a ?changing of the guard? perse, when WBC 147lb Champ Andre Berto and WBO 126lb Champ Juan Manuel Lopez both relinquished their titles in the ring.
Berto heavily favored to win both by public opinion and the bettors line fought sluggishly throughout his bout with former 140lb Champ Victor Ortiz but to his credit fought valiantly and had several chances to snatch victory from the hands of defeat. Berto supposedly the bigger, stronger, man accustomed to fighting at full welterweight looked like it was he who had just risen from the 140lb division and seemed to have no legs from the start.
Ortiz looking to be the bigger man came out quick and aggressive to start the fight, and fought every round of the fight that way. Team Ortiz also studied Berto very carefully and realized that the Floridian was no insider fighter, Berto needed room to throw his punches; Ortiz made it a phone booth fight. Minus two knockdowns the 2nd from a powerful right hand from Berto which it looked like Ortiz would not recover from, Ortiz displayed his superiority throughout the fight. Ortiz able to continue after the big right hand ended the round with a knockdown of his own erasing any advantage Berto had gained. Berto struggled for the rest of the fight and clearly lost his title to a better fighter in a give and take battle.
In hindsight Berto may have been too dismissive of Ortiz as suggested during some of Berto?s prefight interviews. In hindsight maybe a return match with Luis Collazo might?ve provided Berto with the necessary experience to beat Ortiz who fights in a similar style to Collazo. Maybe not having to cut so much weight allowed Ortiz to find his calling in the 147lb division rather than at Jr. Welterweight.
On the same night in Puerto Rico in front of hometown fans Juan Manuel Lopez apparently on a collision course with Yuriorkis Gamboa for a big money showdown failed to impress and ended up losing. In any case Orlando Salido was either unaware or not told of the potential Lopez/Gamboa superfight and did nothing to make it happen.
Lopez came out flat and sluggish during the fight similar to his 147lb counterpart. His legs were failing him also and the snap that he usually has in his punches was absent. Except for a few instances where Lopez was able to land cleanly on Salido the Mexican displaying good boxing skills was able to make Lopez miss and make him pay. This would be the theme throughout for Salido who really revved up the intensity as the fight wore on.
In the 6th round a left right combination landed by Salido solidly on Lopez? chin almost put Lopez down for the count. Rising to his feet Lopez seriously hurt had to use all of his experience to last the final seconds of the round. In the 7th round with Lopez still hurt and his legs fading, Salido once again on the attack landed several hard blows to Lopez? chin but the Champion was able to weather them. By the end of the round Lopez seemed to recover, had Salido let him off the hook? In the 8th Lopez mounted his own comeback in a give-and-take battle but his legs betrayed him as he was unable to put any snap on the punches that did land. Salido as was his custom slipped and countered the legless champion raining down hard shots on the durable champions chin. At that point the referee not wanting Lopez to get hurt had seen enough and waved off the fight. To Lopez? credit he was fighting back when the ref called off the fight and protested the stoppage. Passionate Puerto Rican fans rained down water bottles into the ring to voice their on disapproval that hometown boy Lopez wasn?t given the chance to redeem himself.
With the occurrences of Saturday night behind us two things come to mind. How will Arum refocus and rebuild a potential Lopez/Gamboa super fight or can he? Will Floyd Mayweather Jr. who was at the Ortiz/Berto fight want any parts of Ortiz? You know that?s why Floyd was there; scouting Berto to make a fight and Ortiz had to mess it up.
Where do the 2 ex-champions go from here?? Berto in this writer?s opinion needs a trainer change, his trainer did nothing to motivate him or light a fire under him. Berto was losing plain and simple from jump and never once did his trainer tell him as much or tell him what more he needed to do other than to jab. Berto has unfinished business with Collazo, a rematch with Ortiz or maybe a move down to Jr welterweight may be fitting for him. Either way Berto needs to be much more physical and stronger if he?s going to compete, and be consistent at 147lbs and regain his title.
Lopez on the other hand took a serious beating and shouldn?t return to the ring right away. Like Berto, Lopez needs to improve his skills and maybe a move up in weight to 130lbs or 135lbs may benefit him. Lopez could always join Cotto in the Manny Steward camp, so he can learn some new boxing.
Both fighters need to rejuvenate and restore their legs as both looked like much older fighters.
Congratulations to new WBC 147lb champ Victor Ortiz and new WBO 126lb champion Orlando Salido.
