And the Premier Boxing Champion (PBC) cards just keep getting better and better. This time Andre Berto and Josesito Lopez will come face-to-face in a bout scheduled for 10 rounds tomorrow night on Spike TV–at 9:00 pm, EST. Bottom line: this is not a fight you want to miss.
What I find interesting about Berto and Lopez is that they both are in a process of rebuilding their careers. Lopez has won three fights in a row since two back-to-back losses to Canelo Alvarez in 2012 and Marcos Maidana in 2013. Berto has just one victory since an awful performance against Robert Guerrero in 2012 and Jesus Soto Karass in 2013.
Both fighters made adjustments during the difficult moments in their career. Lopez recommitted himself to the sport full-time; Berto went back to the drawing board and hired 2011 Trainer of the Year, Virgil Hunter.
So what we’re dealing with in this fight is not who these men were, but who they are in the process of becoming—becoming again for at least one of them. Last September Berto looked like a refined version of his former self against Steve Upsher Chambers, while Lopez seemed quite bored fighting Rafael Cobos. Maybe to Lopez, Cobos was just a stepping-stone until he could face better competition.
Lopez has gotten his wish, as the match with Berto is certainly not a stepping-stone fight. This is an important career moment for Berto and Lopez, who are both trying to prove they are worthy of taking on elite competition again. Many of their previous competitors have gone on to do so, and have even had the chance to fight Floyd Mayweather Jr.
In a way Berto and Lopez, both talented individuals, have become two of the forgotten stars of the welterweight division. Tomorrow night will be their chance to prove they are still worthy of our attention and that of their peers.
http://www.wedgies.com/question/5501d577c2d8040a0000c8a4
