Andre Berto vs. Devon Alexander fight prediction, start time, card, odds, live stream
A pair of welterweights collide in the latest installment of PBC on Fox
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3 min read
A pair of former welterweight champions square off on Saturday in a crossroads fight that likely sends the winner back into the title picture and the loser to full-time opponent status.
That's what is at stake when Andre Berto (31-5, 24 KOs) faces Devon Alexander (27-4-1, 14 KOs) in a 12-round main event of a Premier Boxing Champions card from Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, New York (7:30 p.m. ET, FOX).
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Although it has been seven years since Berto, 34, last held a title at 147 pounds, he has remained one of the division's biggest names and went as far as unsuccessfully challenging former pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather in their 2015 pay-per-view. Like the 31-year-old Alexander, a former two-division champion, Berto has juggled wins and losses in recent years and is looking to find consistency for one more big run following a disappointing TKO loss to Shawn Porter in 2017.
"You have to tap into something that's a little bit greater than yourself when you are going through situations like that," Berto told CBS Sports' "In This Corner" podcast on Monday. "It's life, period. Life is going to throw you a lot of curveballs and I'm definitely [a testament] to it.
"I've been on the top-top, I fell back down and then I climbed up and fell back down and climbed up again. But that has been my life and you have to be able to not be discouraged by it and to accept it to continue to press forward. If you are discouraged or not, life isn't going to stop. You are either going to continue on that treadmill or keep going or just feel sorry for yourself."
Alexander rebounded from a recent streak of three losses in four fights and a two-year break from the sport after overcoming an addiction to painkillers. He's fresh off an entertaining majority draw against Victor Ortiz in February, who is the same opponent Berto knocked out in their 2016 rematch.
Berto vs. Alexander viewing information
Date: Saturday, Aug. 4
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Location: Nassau Coliseum -- Uniondale, New York
Channel: FOX
Stream: fuboTV (Try for free)
"I really felt [Alexander] could've done a lot more to discourage Oritz or to even stop him somewhat," Berto said. "I felt like he just kept letting him get off of the hook and let Ortiz get back in the fight. I saw a lot of things I didn't like but at the end of the day, he's still a very game opponent and two-time champion with great skills so I have to prepare for the best Devon Alexander."
Berto expects Saturday's fight to feature plenty of speed, power and explosiveness from a pair of technical fighters and he also believes Alexander will come in more focused than ever to get back in the win column.
"It's going to be a tremendous fight," Berto said. "[The fans] know me for a long time. I've been at the top of this division for a very long time and they know what I bring to the table and of course Devon Alexander is coming to prove something and I'm not going to let him off easy."
Prediction
While both are firmly in the second half of their respective careers and no longer look as crisp or explosive as their prime days, Berto still wields an explosive right hand and an eagerness to turn each fight into an entertaining brawl.
As far as the reasons for his stoppage loss against Porter, Berto blames it more on being concussed from an illegal head butt and has spoken out against Porter's dirty style. He's likely not to receive anything close to the same pressure from Alexander, who had difficulty keeping the forward-charging Ortiz off of him in his last bout.
| Favorite | Underdog | Weightclass |
|---|---|---|
Devon Alexander -225 | Andre Berto +175 | Welterweight |
Peter Quillin -185 | J'Leon Love +150 | Middleweight |
Marcus Browne -3000 | Lenin Castillo +1100 | Light heavyweight |
During his junior welterweight prime, Alexander's power was always a result of his speed and superior footwork. But he's not the same puncher at welterweight and seems to have lost his quick first step.
The flaws in both fighters make the potential for a rousing brawl to become very real. In that case, look for Berto to rely a ton on his favorite punch -- the right uppercut -- and test how willing Alexander is to give and take against a big puncher.
Pick: Berto via UD12
