Berto withdraws from title fight
Date published :
19 Jan 2010 - 08:11:10
WBC welterweight champion Andre Berto has pulled out of his title fight with Shane Mosley following the earthquake in Haiti, his parents' homeland.
United States-born Berto, who fought for Haiti at the 2004 Olympics, said he was unable to train for the biggest fight of his career on 30 January.
He said: "As a result of this disaster, I am mentally and physically exhausted and I have no choice but to withdraw."
The move could open up a fight between Mosley and Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Promoter Richard Schaefer is already working on putting the contest on and both boxers, who are represented by Golden Boy Promotions, are said to be interested in the fight.
"I'm going to do whatever I can to pull it off," Schaefer said. "I'm cautiously optimistic we can put something together. It would be a great fight, a long anticipated fight.
"Mayweather is interested and so, of course, is Shane.
Now it's a matter of negotiating the right deal structure that makes everyone happy."
Mayweather has been looking for an opponent ever since his fight with Filipino Manny Pacquiao, which was scheduled for 13 March, was cancelled amid the American fighter's demand for blood testing for performance-enhancing drugs.
The undefeated Berto was to defend his WBC belt in Las Vegas against Californian Mosley, who has held titles in three different weight classes.
But following last Tuesday's earthquake, which has killed between 50,000 and 200,000 people, the 26-year-old, who has many relatives on the island, decided to pull out of the fight.
"I lost several family members to the earthquake and after two days without word, was relieved to learn that my sister, Naomi and her daughter, Jessica survived, but were left homeless," he said.
"I have seen the pain in my parents' eyes as they attempt to understand what has happened to our homeland and recognize a place they once called home.
"The rebuilding of Haiti is not something that will happen overnight, but I am fully dedicated to helping the Haitian people recover from this catastrophic event."
