After being gone from the ring for more than a year now, Andre Berto is now back trying to revive his boxing career.
He was out of the match after a shoulder surgery and he is not back in Cincinnati on Saturday for the undercard fight of a Showtime Promotions match which features Adrien Broner against Emmanuel Taylor.
Berto is off to meet Steve Upsher Chambers in a 10-round welterweight bout. Berto had a tendon tear which needed surgery.
Berto said "The last 12 months have definitely been hard, but I have learned a lot about myself and the sport since my last fight. Dealing with an injury like this has helped me strengthen different elements of my game and I can't wait to put all of that into play on [Saturday]."
The is an important fight for Berto as he had a two-fight losing streak and has lost three of his last four. On the other hand, his opponent Chambers does not have a strong punch. Statistics shows that he has just six wins by knockout in 28 bouts, while going 24-3-1 - and so Berto (28-3, 22 KOs) isn't being severely challenged.
Berto has been working with Virgil Hunter for his return to the ring. Hunter is known for working with super middleweight champion Andre Ward. His strategy is to work on his defense and avoid being hit.
Berto said "Virgil and I have been working consistently since I was cleared to start boxing training early this year. Training with him is like being in a classroom and I'm excited to share the benefits of those lessons in Cincinnati."
He's shared the gym with the likes of Ward, Amir Khan, Abner Mares and Alfredo Angulo and has tried to incorporate something from each of their styles into his own.
Berto commented "It was good to be able to be there to support those guys [and] I learned something from each one of them. Now, it's my turn and I'm ready to go out there and put on a show in Cincinnati."
Many will be looking forward to Berto's fight against Chambers knowing him being a crowd pleaser. If he can work on both his offense and defense, he will make his fans extra happy.
