Last night, former welterweight titlist Andre Berto took to Twitter to deliver a scathing media critique in his first public statement since suffering a 12th round knockout defeat to Jesus Soto Karass last Saturday.
Responding to certain boxing publications that have called for his retirement and derided his performance, Berto said his first and foremost concern is fighting for the fans. In addition, he emphatically dismissed any thought of ending his career at 29 year old.
This fuckin media is trying to crucifie me hu smh.. Everytime I step in that square circle it’s for everybody sitting in those seats man
— Andre Berto (@AndreBerto) July 31, 2013
Tore my shoulder out in the 3rd and still fought my ass off with one arm smh I don’t give a damn anymore man we’ll be back and will succeed
— Andre Berto (@AndreBerto) July 31, 2013
Cold game but thanks to everybody who continue to always support me and all the true warriors that bite down and show up always
— Andre Berto (@AndreBerto) July 31, 2013
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Kudos to Berto. I’m not going to sit here and front like I haven’t cracked a few shoulder roll jokes of my own over the last few months, but the criticism of him has really gone overboard, specifically with the “bum” and “hypejob” critiques. For a guy that’s only been involved in one boring fight against Juan Urango in the past 3-5 years, and delivered several Fight of Year level brawls (Collazo, Ortiz, Guerrero), it’s quite puzzling why some fans are so hard on him.
This article posted yesterday on BadCulture.net (Like It Or Not, Berto Is a Warrior) sums up a lot of the media and fan hypocrisy regarding Berto (Writer’s Note: Is it a coincidence that Berto began his rant in the midst of the Bad Culture Boxing Show discussing the hypocrisy of the criticism against him?) He could have easily packed it in from that shoulder injury (greater fighters like Bernard Hopkins, for example, have thought better of fighting with one arm), but he went deep into the fight and even scored a knockdown. But alas, most people didn’t give Berto the gushing “warrior” tag that was bestowed just the fight before on the likes of Nihito Arakawa and Omar Figueroa, who both frankly showed far less defensive acumen and ring smarts than Berto.
News is a lot of times determined by who jumps in front of the story first. This is where I think a smart, dedicated boxing PR person would have done wonders for Berto’s rep. Both of his recent losses were courageous, brutal battles, and there should have been press releases from his camp coming after each bout talking up his heart. That would have stopped some of focus on his flaws over the pound of the flesh he gives each time in the ring.
While I stand by the opinion that Berto can’t be considered an elite fighter at this point, he’s definitely an action fighter and a welcome addition to any boxing card. So let’s hear it. Is Berto deserving of all the continued jokes and criticism due to his early career hype, or do all of us need to take a reflective step back and give the man his due?
Beats, Boxing and Mayhem 