Main event is weak, but Fox card is pretty stacked.

Berto vs. Ortiz II - whatever. :blabla

The Vicious Tree doesn't have a single meaningful victory (or good performance against somebody with a pulse) since defeating Berto more than 5 years ago. Meanwhile the Haitian sensation has very respectable stoppages over Jan Zaveck and Josesito Lopez, and while he also has lost thrice since their last meeting (as has Ortiz) he was at least very competitive in two of those losses, to good fighters in Guerrero and Soto Karass. The one in which he wasn't competitive was the loss to Mayweather, and while he got shut out at least he didn't get KTFO like Ortiz did. Oh, and Ortiz also lost to Josesito Lopez. And was brutalized in his comeback (and his only time facing a lukewarm body after the jaw injury and layoff) by a badly shot Collazo. A badly shot Collazo who recently had gone life & death with Steve Upsher Chambers...who then got knocked out by E-Boy Gomez and dominated by Ashley Theophane and Berto himself.

This is a cash grab, and very obvious Berto victory...and hopefully won't set up a rubber match, but probably will. A trilogy makes dollars and sense. :verysad


The good news is there's so much else going on in Carson tomorrow night.

La Bomba Rodríguez is rightfully a favorite (4/11) over Top Dog Williams Jr., but isn't a sure bet. Williams has more than enough on his résumé to say that he is roughly in the same league, and recently got off the canvas to stop Umberto Savigne which does mitigate some concerns about his fighting heart lingering from the loss to Campillo. Edwin is also very uneven in the ring and has often fought down to his opponent's level or let them dictate their pace.

Pilón Lara is taking a huge leap up in class with Kochulito Montiel, but is much younger, a natural featherweight, a southpaw, taller & longer and can wallop. This makes for a real brain teaser with Montiel, ever the glass cannon, recently snapping an 8W streak with his loss to Lee Selby. He still performed well but did seem to suffer with the size and in some moments looked his age despite his dogged efforts.

The unbeaten Terrell Gausha and David Benavidez are both taking steps up with Orlando Lora and Phillip Jackson Benson respectively. Lora was a tough out for a then 17-0 Keith Thurman (but has since been stopped thrice by J-Rock, Charlo, and Lubin). PJB was stopped by Darnell Boone a year ago but will probably answer questions about Benavidez's chin (or power, either way).

 

Rios would slaughter Ortiz now. (and I would have favored him back then as well)

 

Eh, not convinced he is anything other than exactly the same wet blanket that got torn up by faded Luis C.

Manny Perez and Gilberto Sánchez may have only had a couple of their combined 26 defeats by stoppage, but they are blown up featherweights as well. Perez has campaigned at lightweight since he lost to Ortiz, and Sánchez, 35, is retired.

 

Why has every reply been about the one fight that doesn't merit any more discussion? atsch