The inaugural Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) on Spike TV debuts this Friday night from the Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario, California and has a main event that is almost certain to provide fireworks.
In the main event, Winter Haven Florida’s Andre “The Beast” Berto (29-3 22 KO) faces Riverside, California’s Josesito “Riverside Rocky” Lopez (33-5 19 KO) and has the makings of an all out war. Neither fighter backs up and both look to damage their opponent. During this week’s conference call for the upcoming bout, each was asked if they were looking to stop the other.
Said Berto at the conference call, “I mean, at the end of the day, man, it’s like we’re just trying to be [indiscernible] as we can. At the end of the day we want to come out with a win. That’s the most important thing. Even put your mind in a [indiscernible] or stoppage, if you want, but if you want to try to stay focused on that and something else happens, and you’re out of luck. The most important thing right now is just to make sure to get the win and look spectacular doing it.”
Countered Lopez, “Well, we prepared for all the rounds, like any smart fighter, I think, that you don’t necessarily look for a knockout. If the situation permits then you go in for the kill, but this is definitely one of those fights that it could end at any point, either side. We’re two strong fighters that are willing to exchange, so we’re definitely prepared and if a knockout comes then it can come. It’s definitely going to be action-packed.”
There was a time when Berto was considered to be one of the next stars of boxing. He was a champion and an undefeated fighter through his first twenty-seven fights before losing to Victor Ortiz in a fight of the year candidate back in 2011. Berto then went 1-2 over the next four years and had to have his right shoulder surgically repaired.
In Berto’s last three fights, he has had a unanimous decision loss to Robert Guerrero in 2012, a 2013 TKO loss to Jesus Soto Karass, and a 2014 unanimous decision win over Steve Upsher Chambers.
Said Berto, “Man, if you haven’t watched me and watched all the shit that I’ve been through this last year, year-and-a-half, you’re going to have no choice, man, but to be a different fighter, a different person, a different man. Do you know what I’m saying? “
“I mean, this whole experience that I went through being in the situation of just injuries here and there, especially after my last situation of tearing my shoulder during the second round with Karass, just going through that rehab, I didn’t think I was going to be able to be in this position to fight anymore, to be honest. I thought my career was probably going to be over because the injury, like I said, I’ve never been through anything like that in my life and it was just so taxing on me, and I really had to learn how to use my right hand, my right arm all over again. It took me a year, a year-and-a-half, you know what I mean?”
“And when a man goes through that, when he goes through those type of obstacles and he doesn’t have any choice but to stay focused and stay prayed up and seek God on a lot of different angles and areas, you don’t have no choice but to be a different man, a different animal. Do you know what I’m saying? It was just a whole different life for me; it was a whole different life for me, a whole different motivation for me.”
“Right after my last fight I was in the gym like a week-and-a-half, probably a week, shit, probably three, four days after fight time. There was no vacation for me, man. I was just so excited just to be back and when you’re in a position when you get your gift taken away from you like that and you get into a point that you can get it back and you really cherish it and you pull out all stops to try to make sure that it’s possible.”
“I came into this camp about like five or six pounds overweight. I came into camp and shit. Do you know what I mean? Like I said, my mindset, my mindset, my motivation, my determination, everything is just different. Do you know what I’m saying?”
Since breaking Victor Ortiz’s jaw in a 2012 stoppage win, Lopez was stopped in back to back fights against Saul “Canelo Alvarez” and Marcos Maidana. Lopez enters this one on the strength of three straight wins, his last, an eight round unanimous decision last September.
Lopez was asked during the conference call how much has been taken out of him after the tough back to back stoppages losses to Alvarez and Maidana.
“I had three really big fights back-to-back-to-back. Tough fights. Canelo is just over-matched as far as size. Really, really big fighter and I was in over my head as far as weight and size, but you leave every loss or fight behind you. You try to learn from it, whether it’s a win or a loss, and you move. You move forward. Every fight’s a different fight. Every fighter fights a different style. So, we prepare to whatever fight is up and leave any bad experience as far as loss behind you. “
Besides having the crowd behind him, Lopez will also has the height and reach advantage. Lopez loves to slug it out and Berto is one who has shown that he will oblige; however, Berto would benefit by boxing Lopez and picking the correct times to exchange.
Berto acknowledges a need to tweak his style and was asked if he would incorporate more boxing into this fight.
“Of course, of course. And you know, we implemented a lot of different things. I just had a lot of different issues in those fights that we definitely had to work on. I mean, that was also one of my reasons for coming over here. I was with my old coach and we did great things. We did great things together, me and Tony Morgan, but the technical aspect which we lacked because we’re in the position that I just had tremendous talent, tremendous athleticism and we just fed off that. Do you know what I’m saying? We just went our whole careers, amateurs and pros, just doing what we do because we just had everything that says just to be whoever just because of that’s what we depended on. We didn’t really depend on the technical aspect of boxing. That’s when I knew something was wrong – do you know what I mean – when I got in certain situations that we never had practiced on or we never really did that.”
“So the thing is, he’s ridiculously meticulous and very, very technical. We work on a lot of different situations that come up in the ring attack-wise and just defense, all the way around the board. We definitely just worked all the way around and like I said, we’re in tremendous shape and we just, like I said, we just can’t wait to just put it all together, man, and I think in time you’re going to be able to see all a complete fighter in Andre Berto.”
Lopez would prefer the old Berto, the one that will play to his strengths and trade with him. Lopez was asked if he believed Berto would box more or stand and trade.
“I’m not sure if he is or not. I just know what I can do and what I’ve prepared myself for. I’ve prepared myself for the best Andre Berto that we’ve seen and we know he’s a warrior and he fights the entire fight. We’ve prepared well, so no matter what, I’m here to fight and I’m going in there looking to fight.” Said Lopez
“We worked on training camp and that’s what training camp is for, to adapt to different situations, different scenarios inside the ring, so like most fighters, we’ve got to plan for anything that comes up in the fight.”
Just like the main event in the first PBC card last week on NBC between Keith Thurman and Robert Guerrero, the first Spike TV card main event is must see TV.
– Rick Guerrero / @lappittick
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