Shawn Porter vs Andre Berto Preview April 22nd
There’s a fine WBC welterweight elimination bout on tap at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York this Saturday, April 22nd as former world champs Shawn Porter and Andre Berto will be slugging it out. The winner is supposed to get a shot at current champion Keith Thurman. The 12-round bout can be seen live in the U.S. on Showtime. Porter hasn’t fought since last June when he dropped a unanimous decision to Thurman and Berto’s last fight was last April when he stopped Victor Ortiz in four rounds in their rematch. Therefore, both fighters may have a little ring rust.
Porter vs Berto Betting Odds
Here are the betting odds from online sportsbook BetOnline.ag (full review here).
- Andre Berto +420
- Shawn Porter -550
My Pick
The 29-year-old Porter of Akron, Ohio is a former IBF Welterweight Champion, but lost his title via a close majority decision to Kell Brook of England in August of 2014. He has a fine record of 26-2-1 with 16 Kos. Porter is more of a blue-collar boxer who has a lot of energy to burn, but isn’t known as a big knockout puncher even though he’s scored his fair share of stoppages. His current knockout ratio stands at 55 per cent. Porter is 5-feet-7-inches tall with a 69.5-inch wingspan.
He turned pro in 2008 and has 174 rounds under his belt since then. His draw was a 10-round affair against Julio Diaz in 2012. Porter’s best victories have been against Adrien Broner, Diaz in a rematch, Paulie Malignaggi, Devon Alexander, Phil Lo Greco and Alfonso Gomez. Porter seems to have a pretty good chin, but Broner did manage to drop him in the 12th and final round in June of 2015. Porter’s key to beating Berton will be to throw a high volume of punches every round and make him back up if possible.
The 33-year-old Berto of Winter Haven, Florida climbs into the ring with a 31-4 record along with 24 Kos. He’s gone 5-4 in his last nine outings and has suffered from shoulder problems in the past few years. Berto hasn’t been the same boxer as he was a few years ago, but looked pretty good against Ortiz last year and is still dangerous due to his desire, vicious attacks and fine jab. Actually, the key to his attack is the jab and he’s not nearly as effective when he doesn’t throw it out on a consistent basis. He also has a mean uppercut.
Berto isn’t the greatest defensive boxer out there and his chin is questionable at this point of his career. He’s give up both a slight height and reach advantage to Porte as he’s just over 5-foot-6-inches tall and has a wingspan of 68.5 inches. He turned pro in 2004 and has gone 205 rounds since then. Berto has more power than Porter with a current knockout ratio of 69 per cent. He’s a former IBF and WBC World Welterweight Champion and peaked a few years ago when he beat the likes of Luis Collazo, Juan Urango, David Estrada, Josesito Lopez, Steve Forbes, and Carlos Quintana.
Berto might still have enough left in the tank to be a legitimate contender though and could possibly work his way to another title shot with a win here. He’s been set back by injuries over the past couple of years and is eager to get back into the spotlight. He’s undergone shoulder surgery, but appears to be 100 per cent now. Berto lost his title to Ortiz in their first meeting and he’s also been beaten by Floyd Mayweather, Jesus Soto Karass and Robert Guerrero with Karass being the only man to stop him.
Prediction…
Porter should try to dictate the pace with his aggressive style and try to outwork and outpunch Berto. He’ll need to keep the pressure on and make sure he gets in and out and is wary of Berto’s powerful counters. This should be an entertaining fight and I’ll go with Porter in a close one.
Look for Porter to take this one.
Play: Porter -550 @ BetOnline.ag
Check out my recent boxing betting picks to see my current form
Andre Berto betting • Shawn Porter betting