Berto suffers injury; Feb. 11 fight vs. Ortiz likely to be postponed
The highly anticipated rematch between former welterweight champions Victor Ortiz and Andre Berto, scheduled for Feb. 11 at the MGM Grand Garden, is expected to be postponed after Berto was injured Monday during training.
A source close to the Berto camp confirmed Berto ruptured his left biceps while sparring during a workout in Van Nuys, Calif. Berto was taken to a nearby hospital for an MRI, which revealed the tear, and he will require surgery.
Richard Schaefer, chief executive officer of Golden Boy Promotions, which promotes Ortiz, confirmed the fight was in jeopardy.
“It doesn’t look good at this point,” Schaefer said Monday night. “We’re waiting for more details. But it’s looking like (Berto) won’t be able to fight.”
Rolando Arellano, who manages Ortiz, told RingTV.com the fight was off.
“We’re still in shock,” Arellano said.
Ortiz and Berto engaged in one of the best fights of 2011 when they met in April. Ortiz won a 12-round unanimous decision to capture Berto’s WBC welterweight title. Berto bounced back from the loss by defeating Jan Zaveck in September to win the IBF title. But he relinquished that belt for another shot at Ortiz, who had lost the WBC belt to Floyd Mayweather Jr. on Sept. 17.
Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913. Follow him on Twitter: @stevecarprj.