Andre Berto's Career Ended Too Soon?

With the negotiations of a Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather Jr. fight in shambles; boxing fans once again turn their attention to other possible contenders for the pound-for-pound best Pacquiao.

Although it seems like Antonio Margarito has been selected as the opponent for a Nov 13th showdown; one name continues to incite heated debate on every internet forum imaginable as a "could be" contender.

The WBC Welterweight Champion Andre Berto.

With 26 undefeated bouts under his belt—most recently against sound competition like Carlos Quintana, Juan Urango, Luis Collazo and Steve Forbes—he makes a very good argument.

However I believe Andre Berto is at a delicate cross road in his career and like many others Andre has made a public statement calling out Pacquiao, the B.W.A.A. Fighter of the Decade.

Such a bold move this early in his career tells me he might be destined to follow in the footsteps of former light middleweight Champion Fernando Vargas.

Like Berto, Vargas was a young, talented fighter with enormous potential.

In 1998 Fernando "El Feroz" Vargas beat IBF Light Middleweight champion Yori Boy Campas into submission and made his presence in boxing known.

Over the next year and a half El Feroz proved to boxing fans he deserved his moniker and the respect of light middleweight fighters everywhere, by defeating Howard Clarke, former champion Raul Marquez, and former champion/defensive guru Ronald “Winky” Wright.

Unfortunately the new Millennium would prove to hold disastrous consequences for Vargas.

Eager to solidify his place in boxing history, Vargas would step into the squared circle three times in 2000. 

He fought the hard hitting Ike “Bazooka” Quartey and “The Boss” Ross Thompson of Buffalo, New York, before meeting the then undefeated Puerto Rican Champion Felix ”Tito” Trinidad in December of 2000.

Fernando was 20-0 with 18 KO’s when he agreed to fight Trinidad, who was 38-0 with 31 wins coming by way of knockout.

Legendary trainer Lou Duva believed Vargas had the skill, tenacity and strength to defeat the 27-year-old Trinidad but was he really ready to face him? 

El Feroz was five days away from his 23rd birthday when he entered the ring in what would become a fight for the ages titled "Forces of Destruction."

Vargas who had never been down in his career would feel the unforgiving canvas in the first 25 seconds of Round One, coming from a stiff left hook by Trinidad.

El Feroz would prove to be a formidable opponent by getting off the canvas three additional times and knocking Trinidad down once in Round Four.

The incredible bout was halted after a fifth knock down by Trinidad at 1:33 of the 12th Round; referee Jay Nady would bring the stoppage and El Feroz would never be the same again.

What would later prove to be a debilitating loss, Vargas began to spiral.

He fought only 10 bouts after his loss to Trinidad, losing three of them to future Hall of Fame fighters “Sugar” Shane Mosley (twice) and Oscar De La Hoya.

Then, in 2007 Vargas laced up his gloves for the last time against the brash warrior from Nicaragua, Ricardo Mayorga. El Feroz left the ring defeated.

In that same time frame Vargas tested positive for anabolic steroid use following the Oscar De La Hoya bout in 2002 that ended in a merciful stoppage by referee Joe Cortez in the 11th Round.

Present day.

Andre Berto is 26 years old and calls Winterhaven, Florida his home.

His parents are from Haiti and he is currently the reining WBC Welterweight Champion as well as a genuinely nice guy.

Berto began his professional career after a lengthy stint in the amateurs that consisted of over 200 bouts.

He topped off his impressive amateur resume with a bronze medal, fighting for the Haitian team in the 2004 Summer Olympics.

His professional experience is also demonstrative with 20 of his 26 undefeated bouts coming by knockout.

He clearly has made a name for himself and certainly deserves to fight in a “fight of the ages” so to speak.

However will Pacquiao be his Trinidad?

I believe so.  His record speaks loudly, and Berto himself is asking for this fight but as coach Mike Sherman has said “Adversity doesn’t build character, it reveals it.”

A plea goes out to all the boxing fanatics and Andre Berto: Be patient your time will come.

There will inevitably be a passing of torch and when that happens you need to be ready to receive it.

That moment will surely pass you by, if you’re staring at the blurred stadium lights behind a silhouette that resembles the Filipino Idol Manny Pacquiao.