Andre Berto is a changed man. Changed for the better he says, changed after finding triumph in tragedy and valuing life after seeing death.
The reigning WBC welterweight champion has been deeply immersed in the Haiti earthquake relief effort. The son of Haitian immigrants, Berto lost family in the disaster, and the emotional commitment prompted him to pull out of a unification bout with Shane Mosley set for Jan. 30 in Las Vegas.
Instead of fighting, Berto went to Haiti, where he witnessed death and destruction first-hand. Berto chronicled his time there in a recently distributed journal. In it he talks of witnessing the death of a child but marveling in the determined spirit of the Haitian people. A copy of the journal can be found in my “By George” blog at nypost.com.
At one point he writes about a visit to a hospital.
“I witnessed hundreds of kids covered in bandages, crying for parents that they’ll never see again, and asking to go back to a home that is no more,” Berto said. “When I walk through the aisle, a little girl grabbed my pant leg, and I stopped and looked at her. She had a smile that could light up the darkest day, corn rows in her head, and a little necklace with an angel on it. I asked her what her name was, and she said Measha. I told her she was beautiful, and she responded ‘Thank you’ (in Creole). Then she asked me if I could fix her leg because it has been hurting. She pulled the blanket back and her leg had been amputated.
“It’s definitely all true stuff,” Berto told the Post. “Everybody just hears a little bit on the news and the boxing fans wonder why the Mosley fight didn’t happen. I just felt I wanted to put my story on paper and let everybody read where I’m coming from.”
Berto lost an uncle and seven members of his household in the earthquake. Fortunately, Berto’s sister and niece were walking to a friend’s house when the earthquake hit and escaped injury, through their home is in ruins. Berto said visiting Haiti has made him appreciate the things in his own life.
“It definitely has changed my whole perspective,” he said. “It definitely makes you appreciate the people you have in your life. Seeing what I’ve seen and experiencing it first hand, you understand people are in a fight that’s much bigger than anything I ever fight in the ring. But at the same time, it makes you want to inspire nations. Not just Haiti, but everybody.”
At the time Berto pulled out of the Mosley fight, there were unsubstantiated rumors Berto received step-aside money to clear the way so Mosley could fight Floyd Mayweather, whose anticipated bout with Manny Pacquiao had fallen through.
“It’s ridiculous,” Berto said. “I don’t’ know how anybody could say something like that. If I took step-aside money I would have [been] taking it a long time before that. I wouldn’t have killed myself in camp for eight weeks. People are going to say what they want to say, but the reality is right there in front of them.”
He’s talking about the devastation in Haiti. Berto will continue to work with organizations such as Project Medishare and the Berto Dynasty Foundation to aid the relief effort. But he’s ready to get back in the ring again. He’s planning an April 10 bout against a yet to be determined opponent. He will honor Haiti that night. “It’s going to be a special event,” Berto said.
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The UFC makes its first appearance in Australia today when UFC 110 is held at Sydney’s Acer Arena. The main event features Cain Velasquez facing Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in a heavyweight battle. Also on the pay-per-view card Wanderlei Silva fights Michael Bisping. The fights will take place Sunday afternoon in Sydney to be televised live Saturday night in the States.
Meanwhile, the UFC has announced a new opponent to challenge Anderson Silva for the UFC middleweight championship at UFC 112 in Abu Dhabi on April 10. Demain Maia replaces Vitor Belfort, who was injured during training camp. In the co-main event, lightweight champion BJ Penn defends against Frankie Edgar of Toms River, N.J. UFC 111 will be held at the Prudential Center in Newark on March 27.