Preview: Premier Boxing Champions on Spike

---

Andre Berto (29-3 , 22 KOs) vs. Josesito Lopez (33-6 19 KOs)

The Matchup: Pairing Berto and Lopez is a smart bit of booking: While neither is likely to crack the division’s upper-tier, both are action-oriented fighters capable of putting on a show for a violence-hungry audience. With many of boxing’s biggest stars only available on pay-per-view, that concept is key in attracting viewers to fights on network TV.

Early in his career, Berto reaped the benefits of Al Haymon’s backing, as he racked up television appearances and victories against less-than-stellar opposition en route to becoming a two-time welterweight champion.

The former Haitian Olympian has fallen on hard times of late, losing three of four fights from 2011 to 2013 to fall from the welterweight elite. A serious shoulder injury then kept him out of action for more than a year following a loss to Jesus Soto Krauss in July 2013. He returned to the ring this past September, taking a unanimous decision victory against Steve Upsher Chambers at U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati.

Although Berto appeared rusty at times, he was still able to control the distance against his taller foe with his jab, which set up a variety of more powerful offerings, including right hands, left hooks and uppercuts. Chambers, meanwhile, did well when he was aggressive and utilized his own jab, but too often he didn’t offer enough meaningful offense to seriously threaten his foe.

Berto won’t be able to cruise as easily against Lopez, who has shown a willingness to trade with his opponents over the years. His June 2013 showdown with Marcos Maidana was a thrilling brawl in which Lopez countered his adversary well early and appeared to have the Argentine fighter badly hurt in the fourth frame. However, Lopez was ultimately unable to withstand Maidana’s power and lost via TKO in round six.

As willing as he is to engage, Lopez doesn’t have the type of fight-changing power to strike fear into Berto. Another concern is that he has spent much of his career willing to fight larger, heavier foes, and that might have taken its toll on the Riverside, Calif., native. Since his loss to Maidana, Lopez has won three straight fights against largely unheralded opposition. His wins over Mike Arnaoutis and Rafael Cobos were particularly uninspiring, leading to speculation that he is hampered by wear-and-tear even at a relatively young 30 years old.

Still Lopez is not to be underestimated, as evidenced by his victory over Victor Ortiz in 2012, when he broke Ortiz’s jaw in the ninth round. His aggression could pay off against Berto, who has been lacking defensively in the past. However, Berto has been working with Andre Ward trainer Virgil Hunter to correct those deficiencies.

The Pick: No one is confusing Berto for a title contender anymore, but the tools are there for him to get the win here. Lopez will be game in the early going, but look for Berto to gradually assert himself behind his jab, superior power and athleticism for a late stoppage or decision win.