Andre Berto Scores First-Round KO, Wants Manny Pacquiao -- FanHouse

By Lem Satterfield, FanHouse

WBC welterweight (147 pounds) titlist Andre Berto of Winter Haven, Fla., nailed Freddy Hernandez , of Mexico City, with a head-swiveling, right cross that was set up by a left hook to the other side of his face, dropping his rival for a first-round knockout in Saturday's HBO televised triple-header from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

The end came at two minutes, seven seconds of the first round as Berto, in victory, rose to 27-0, with his 21st knockout, dropping Hernandez to 29-2, with 20 KOs.

"I was just trying to throw the jab, because I got to him with the jab a couple of times. So I was trying to jab him to the stomach, and then I came right back up to the head with that right hand," said Berto. "I believe that it was a left hand, and then I just came right over the top with that right hand. It was a left hook, actually, and then, I just came right up over the top and he fell straight back."

Berto ended a 12-fight winning streak that included six knockouts for Hernandez, who had last suffered defeat by split-decision to Golden Johnson in February of 2005.

Berto also staked his claim as a candidate for potential bouts with eight-division champion and WBO welterweight and WBC junior middleweight (154 pounds) belt-holder, Manny Pacquiao' (52-3-2, 38 KOs), WBA junior middleweight king Miguel Cotto (35-2, 28 KOs) or five-time titlist Shane Mosley (46-6-1, 39 KOs).

"Right now, it doesn't matter who I fight. I've already eaten all of my appetizers, so I'm ready for the main courses of the division. So Shane Mosley, we have some unfinished business if he wants it. Or Miguel Cotto, or definitely Manny Pacquiao," said Berto of Pacquiao, who, like Cotto, is promoted by Top Rank Promotions while Mosley has been promoted by Golden Boy Promotions.

"I think that I would be the best fighter out there for Pacquiao," said Berto. "I think that he definitely needs to fight someone who has speed who is strong and who is young, and so let's see what happens."
In another bout, WBA super bantamweight (122 pounds) king Celestino Caballero (34-3, 23 KOs) of Panama rose to super featherweight (130 pounds), where he suffered a mild, upset loss to Jason Litzau (28-2, 21 KOs), the NABF titlist from St. Paul, Minn.

Litzau earned a split-decision victory, winning, 97-93, and, 96-94, repsectively, on the cards of judges Glenn Trowbridge and Dave Moretti, with Al Lefkowitz calling it for Caballero, 96-94.

The two fights took place on the under card of a main event featuring WBO interim lightweight (135 pounds) king Michael Katsidis (27-2, 22 KOs) of Australia challenging WBO and WBA champion Juan Manuel Marquez (51-5-1, 37 KOs) of Mexico despite the recent death of his 31-year-old brother, Stathi Katsidis, a top thoroughbred horse jockey in Australia who was found dead in mid-October in his Brisbane, Australia, home.

Source: boxing.fanhouse.com