Andre Berto: Proud Haitian Deserves a Shot at Pacquiao if He KOs Victor Ortiz

WBC welterweight champion Andre “The Beast” Berto is scheduled to defend his crown against Mexican American “Vicious” Victor Ortiz Saturday night at the Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut.

Berto (27-0, 21 KOs), a two-time National Golden Gloves champion who won 22 state titles in Florida, last fought in November when he recorded a brutal first-round TKO victory over Freddy Hernandez at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Conversely, Ortiz (28-2-2, 22 KOs), a southpaw named ESPN's 2008 Prospect of the Year, lagged through an uninspired draw against Lamont Peterson last December.

Berto, a proud Haitian American who was born in Miami and represented Haiti at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, was slated to battle “Sugar” Shane Mosley in January 2010.

Sadly, “The Beast” decided to cancel his bout in lieu of the devastating 7.0 earthquake that struck Haiti on January 12, 2010. Although never accurately confirmed, the country’s most severe earthquake in over 200 years reportedly claimed a death toll somewhere between 92,000 and 220,000.

Berto has become a very popular fighter in the Boston area because Massachusetts has the third-largest Haitian population in the United States; it is home to 70,000-80,000 Haitians.

Haitians initially began moving to the Bay State in the 1950s, primarily due to its employment opportunities and quality education system. The largest contingent of Haitians is located in the Boston neighborhoods of Mattapan, Dorchester, Hyde Park and Roxbury.

Berto’s prowess in the squared circle would have been recognized had the natural disaster not struck and he'd had the chance to batter Mosley (46-6-1-1, 39 KOs) like he would have.

Nevertheless, Berto will “viciously” knock out Victor Ortiz within nine rounds this weekend and continue his ascension to ring stardom.

Subsequently, Andre Berto should be afforded an opportunity to scrap the legendary Manny “Pac-Man” Pacquiao sometime in late autumn.