On Friday, March 13, 2015, Andre Berto (30-3, 23 KOs) scored a sixth-round knockout of Josesito Lopez (33-6, 19 KOs) at the Citizens Bank Arena in Ontario, California.
The scheduled 12-round Welterweight fight was the main event of Premier Boxing Champions’ first telecast on Spike TV.
Berto, 31, began the fight very tentatively by gauging Lopez’s power with a high-guard stance.
The stance allowed the native of Winter Haven, Florida, to get acquainted with Lopez’s power and to land a few counterpunches.
“I knew that eventually I’d get him because I was breaking him down, “ said Berto of the apparent game plan to measure Lopez in the early rounds before putting on more pressure.
The plans seemed to work, but at times it was Lopez, 30, who was getting the better shots.
Lopez, a native of Riverside, California, unleashed several punches around Berto’s guard to his body and chin, although he did retreat and tried to land counterpunches as Berto began to walk him down.
The early rounds were close with both fighters landing right hands in each round, but it was a knockdown in Round 6 that changed everything.
After being told to be more aggressive by his trainer Virgil Hunter, Berto landed a vicious combination that knocked Lopez down.
Lopez, who seems to have his best moments after a knockdown, took his time to get up.
Berto went for the kill and landed a right hand that quickly sent Lopez to the canvas for a second time.
The fight was unfortunately put to an immediate end, without a count.
“It was ten times worse,” said Lopez, when this early stoppage was compared to his stoppage-loss to Marcos Maidana.
“It was a flash knockdown. I wasn’t hurt or buzzed,” continued Lopez, who was visibly upset at the loss.
Lopez suffered yet another setback in his career, while Berto continues to rebuild a career that was put to a halt with losses to Victor Ortiz and Jesus Soto Karass.
Berto believes he may get a title shot some time in the future as he is the proud owner of a WBA interim title, but today, he says, he wants to get back home and rest.
