Showtime Strikes Back Against HBO: Showtime Buys Victor Ortiz vs. Andre Berto II

Victor Ortiz (29-3-2, 22 KO) vs. Andre Berto (28-1, 22 KO) II will air live on either January 28 or February 11 on Showtime instead of HBO after Showtime purchased the fight for $100,000 more.

HBO originally offered $2.15 million for the highly anticipated rematch of a violent fight-of-the-year contender where both men were dropped twice.

According to Ring Magazine, Showtime then came with an offer of $2.25 million to nab the fight and deliver a little revenge for HBO taking Manny Pacquiao (54-3-2, 38 KO) and Miguel Cotto (36-2, 29 KO) away from them.

Earlier this year, Bob Arum took two of his biggest stars in Pacquiao and Cotto away from HBO and delivered them to Showtime.

After HBO delivered a better package, Arum took his business back to HBO with the Pacquiao-Marquez III card and Cotto-Margarito II card landing on HBO.

Berto is coming off a fifth-round TKO of Jan Zaveck (31-2, 18 KO) for his IBF welterweight world title. He's giving up that title to face Ortiz to avenge his lone loss.

Ortiz is coming off a humiliating fourth-round KO loss to undefeated modern great Floyd Mayweather (42-0, 26 KO), which saw Ortiz give up his WBC welterweight title he had recently won from Berto.

Expect the winner to go on to reclaim a title and be in contention for bigger things in the welterweight division, including potential bouts against the sport's two biggest stars, Pacquiao and Mayweather.