+++Bute v. Berrio ROUND by ROUND+++IT IS ON NOW!!!!!!!

My impression on the fight:

Berrio plus points:

Berrio wasn't afraid to go in and do the business...he was the one coming forward for most of the fight...

He won the middle rounds and checked Bute's chin successfully

He was fit and strong...looked fitter than Bute

Didn't hold as much as Bute and was "clean"...didn't cheat...went low only once or twice...didn't use his head or anything like that...

Berrio used his firepower well - his strategy was good on the inside, and it worked...he was dominating Bute and looked confortable for the vast majority of time...looked in control...Bute didn't hurt him to the head very much, even when he tagged him.

Berrio hurt Bute with the left hook (I think) to the right eye...great shot

Berrio minus points

Bad chin...whenever Bute had the upper hand, andwas hurting him, Berrio was shakey...in the 11th, Bute hit him 3-4 times flush in the corner and Berrio was finished...ref stopped it...Berrio would have fallen down if Bute had pushed him with his little finger...

Bute plus points

Bute DOES NOT have chin problems...he was hit hard by Berrio a couple of times, and he didn't look in trouble

Whatever his strategy was...cause it wasn't pretty, it worked...Berrio couldn't fight him in that phonebox as he was planning

Bute got better in the 10 round and at his best, he dominated Berrio much more clearly than Berrio was dominating him in the middle rounds, at any point.

Bute found the distance and rhythm to tag Berrio...it took him some time but he figured Berrio out and after round 8, he never looked like he would lose anymore...

Bute showed some good skills and some heart towards the end, when the fight came alive, in the 10th round...and he had the skill and power to KO Berrio.

Bute minus points

Oh, dear...quite a few...this wasn't Bute at his best...he looked slow, hesitant, he held WAY too much whenever Berrio fought him on the inside, he didn't look fit, he was tiring badly in the middle rounds.

His strategy was overly careful and hesitant and "not cricket" (the holding)...but I guess it worked...on the other hand, if he wanted to win, this is exactly what he had to do...unless he wanted to risk being KDed....


Conclusion

I gave Bute the early early rounds, Berrio the middle rounds and at the end of the 8th round, I had them 4-4, with a slight edge to Bute...

Bute went ahead in the 9th and dominated clearly in the 10th and was all over him in the 11th...when he was looking to end it...

Berrio wasn't skilled but he is dangerous. He made Bute look bad because Bute had to employ a strategy against him that included some holding and running and being very careful...still preferable to getting KOed from the point of view of Bute, because Berrio WENT for it for sure!

Bute can win even if he has to make it not so pretty and he does figure his opponents out in the end (in the same way he figured Bika out and then dominated him), BUT he needs to become better than he was tonight to have a chance against the Calzaghe and Kessler...a BIG improvement is needed...

I expected Bute to develop more since his fight against Bika...which wasn't an easy fight either...but he didn't...and this fight wasn't Bute at his best.

Also, Bute was intimidated too much by Berrio...he was too cautious...of course, when you know that a mistake can switch your lights off, that is understandable...but still...Bute needs to prove his heart a bit more for me...and I don;t understand why he was tiring so...

To Bute fans:

It wasn't great, but the strategy worked and Bute deserved to win. I guess he felt he had to employ the strategy he did to minimise his chances of a loss...we all know Bute is an intelligent fighter, so, he will do what it takes to NOT lose, and will press his advantage when he gets a chance.

This fight reminded me of the Bika fights...Bute warms his way into the fight and gets better and better and then he takes over and cushes his opponent. Bute is a winner...I guess we all wanted to see fireworks, but REMEMBER...Bute isn't a fool and he isn't Mexican either...

Bute needs to learn more and develop more...but so far so good...he might not be as ready for the big time as we thought he might be, but as long as he keeps on beating Top 10 guys and getting better...it's looking good.

Go BUTE!:happy