FROM being lauded early on his professional career, Andre Berto has fallen low in the estimation of many. But he’s learning from the experience.
“Well, from my first loss moving forward, I’ve been written off. Like I said. going into it, it’s just where the fight game is. It’s just where the fight game is. From my first loss on, it’s been this and this, this and that. I’ve been through my hard times. I’ve been through everything in this fight game and have been in front of that TV screen,” he said philosophically. “Everybody knows the boxing game, you’re as good as your last performance. Just as they can raise you up high in the next great thing, going through defeat or going through some tough times, they’ll write you off quick.
“They’ll write you off quick in this game. And that’s just how the game goes. I can’t sit there and just be upset at it. I knew what I was getting into.
“With all of the buzz surrounding me, coming into the pro game, and me being a world champion myself, I can give myself accolades, but if things don’t go your way, they’ll definitely discredit you.
“You have to see it for what it’s worth, man, and end-of-the-day, just know who you are. You can’t let this fight game ultimately define you.
“It won’t give you the credit that you feel that you deserve at the end of the day, and that’s what I believe. I don’t know too many fighters that have retired satisfied.
“They’re satisfied with this fight game, or satisfied with the notoriety of things they’ve got, from the writers, from the critics or the fans. I don’t know too many at all. You just got to go in there and do what you got to do. Like, just know who you are, and go and make yourself happy.”
In his upcoming April 22 fight with Shawn Porter, Berto believes he will make use of his experience. “It’s crazy to say; I’m an old vet now. My boxing IQ has changed so much when it comes to everything in general,” he said.
“We’re doing things for a reason. Not just out there throwing punches because we can. Not just always just being fast because we can, or being strong because we can. Everything is for a purpose and we’ve just been fine-tuning everything. And everything has been falling in place pretty amazingly.”
