Andre Berto survived a slow start and a third-round knockdown to claim a 12-round split decision victory over Devon Alexander in the PBC on Fox main event Saturday at Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, N.Y.
The bout very well could have been billed as a "loser leaves town" fight considering both Berto and Alexander were desperate for a win in a crowded welterweight division. Berto will live on to fight another day and possibly land one more opportunity at a world title. Alexander will need to consider what the future has in store for him with his best years behind him.
Alexander (27-5-1, 14 KOs) constantly beat Berto to the punch in the early rounds. To make matters worse, a straight left hand in the third round sent Berto to the canvas and put the 34-year-old former champion into a pretty deep hole.
Berto (32-5, 24 KOs) was coming off a punishing ninth-round knockout loss to Shawn Porter and looked to be simply hanging on in the first few rounds, but something clicked for him after he was dropped.
Although he was clearly frustrated by the early troubles, Berto went on the attack in the middle rounds. It also helped that Alexander spent much of his energy looking to land a big shot and was visibly fatigued. Alexander found himself in a situation similar to one he experienced in February when he got off to a fast start but allowed Victor Ortiz to battle back and earn a majority draw in a fight that seemed to be in the St. Louis fighter’s control.
Berto plowed forward and launched power shots as Alexander simply stopped returning fire. It was clear by the seventh round that Alexander had spent his gas tank. Berto took control with an assault of power shots, punctuated by a straight right hand and left hook that managed to find a home.
In a bizarre eighth round, Berto’s cup spilled out of his shorts, but the Haitian-American charged on. Unable to fix the cup, his corner managed to retrieve a new one before the start of the next round. It was an impressive feat that was similar to how the fight played out: a desperate Berto finding a way to survive a seemingly impossible situation.
Alexander’s lack of engagement cost him in the second half of the fight as Berto scored with uppercuts and hooks while winning the judges over with his aggressive nature.
In the end, the judges favored Berto with two scores of 115-112. The third judge favored Alexander 114-113.
