Ortiz (28-2-2) is a southpaw heavy hitter with impeccable precision. Basically, knockdowns are sure to happen when this kid's in the ring (c.f. his HBO highlight reel below; this is great stuff!). He hasn't quite gotten the attention he deserves, in all honesty. He put Maidana on his trunks three times, and Maidana is considered one of the best of the 142 lb division right now. (Ortiz lost that fight because of a cut! And, while I'm under parenthetical cover, the majority draw against Lamont Peterson was complete garbage. He won that fight and won it big.) Regardless, he'll provide fierce competition for anyone, and I mean anyone, who gets in the ring with him.
WBC Champion Andre Berto (27-0-0) is also a power puncher, but with more speed and an orthodox stance. He's gotten some heat over the past few years for his frequent holding, but don't kid yourself, this guy is exciting. Though his tie-ups can get agitating to watch at times, he almost always makes up for them later by landing bombs. His conquest of Carlos Quintana last year tells you all you need to know. Those right hands at the end are the best rights since Mike Tyson was in the game...watch the highlights.
He's a fiend--a very skilled fiend.
So it looks like we're going to have a real fight on April 16th. And this one carries some weight, too. It'll be huge for Ortiz if he wins, KO or decision, because he's the one who came up to 147 from 142, he has the blemishes on his record, and he is the challenger. Berto will benefit from this fight really only if he knocks Ortiz out, and sooner rather than later.
JD's Prediction: I don't want to call it a slug-fest; Ortiz would love one but Berto won't let that happen. And it won't be a chess match because both are just too aggressive. It'll be a high-intensity, high-drama seesaw battle with both men seeing the canvas. But Berto will stop Ortiz in the 7th.
-JD
He's a fiend--a very skilled fiend.
So it looks like we're going to have a real fight on April 16th. And this one carries some weight, too. It'll be huge for Ortiz if he wins, KO or decision, because he's the one who came up to 147 from 142, he has the blemishes on his record, and he is the challenger. Berto will benefit from this fight really only if he knocks Ortiz out, and sooner rather than later.
JD's Prediction: I don't want to call it a slug-fest; Ortiz would love one but Berto won't let that happen. And it won't be a chess match because both are just too aggressive. It'll be a high-intensity, high-drama seesaw battle with both men seeing the canvas. But Berto will stop Ortiz in the 7th.
-JD
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