The prominent train of thought was that Shawn Porter would be a stylistic nightmare for Andre Berto ahead of their crossroad clash. Those opinions were validated as Porter mauled and battered Berto, coming out on top over the faded ex-champ.
Things got ugly early as both fighters got bloodied up by accidental headbutts caused by the hard charging Porter and Berto’s inability to keep him on the outside. Porter was in full control of the bout, dictating the action and landing the better shots during their exchanges. Berto spent far too much time trying to time Porter’s charges, but instead spent his energy trying to fight him off once he did get inside.
Porter strafed Berto at the beginning of the eighth, wobbling him with a series of shots to the head and body. For nearly 90 seconds, Porter clobbered Berto against the ropes in an assault that seemingly took the life out of him and prompted the ringside doctor to check on Berto before the end of the ninth.
Porter closed the show in the ninth, scoring a standing eight count on the exhausted Berto and moments later pounced on him again to maul him for a referee stoppage.
With the win, Porter moves to 28-2-1 and the stage is set for a rematch with Keith Thurman. Last year, Thurman edged Porter in one of 2016s best fights and a rematch will be a top priority for both men.
As for Berto, this certainly must be the end for the 33-year-old former champion. He falls to 31-5 and has gone 5-5 over the course of the last seven years, serving mostly as a gatekeeper during that period. While his name recognition will keep the phones ringing for future beatings, there won’t be much glory to find sustaining his career at this point.
In the co-feature, Jermell Charlo successfully defended his WBC Junior Middleweight belt in dominant fashion by stopping Charles Hatley in six lopsided rounds. Charlo controlled the action from the get go being much more active and busier than the stale Hatley, and as the fight progressed, began landing more meaningful punches.
After taking a vicious beating from Charlo at the end of the fifth, Hatley had nothing left to stop Charlo’s charge and took a hideous overhand right that nearly knocked him out of the ring. With older brother Jermall moving up to Middleweight and after such an impressive performance following a shaky title win a few months ago against John Jackson, Charlo looks to remain a major player in the deepening waters of 154 pounds. He moves to 29-0 with the win.
On Showtime Extreme Amanda Serrano made history winning her fifth title in as many divisions, a record in female boxing, after stopping Dihana Santana in eight rounds.
Serrano was relentless in her assault on Santana, so much so that the referee had seen enough and stopped the fight as Serrano wantonly pounded Santana to the head and body without resistance. With the win, Serrano is forever in the history books and moves to 32-1-1 with presumably more to accomplish being only 28-years-old.
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