BERTO DEFENDS WBC WELTERWEIGHT TITLE; CINTRON DEALS ANGULO FIRST DEFEAT

Undefeated Andre Berto admittedly wasn't at his best, but was still the better man Saturday night in defending his WBC welterweight title with a 12-round unanimous decision against Juan Urango.

May 30, 2009 - by Chuck Johnson | Photos by Ed Mulholland

Displaying dominant skills, Berto's speed was the major factor in him winning virtually every round against Urango, the IBF junior welterweight champion who was moving up in weight.

"I thought I did alright," said Berto, from Winter Haven, Fla. "In a few spots, I got a little lazy but that was because I felt it was coming a little too easy. But he's tough guy…a hard puncher and a little bulldog. But we just used our boxing and showed what we can do."

The victory lifted Berto's record to 25-0 with 19 KOs, while Urango, whose only previous defeat came on a unanimous decision against Ricky Hatton, fell to to 21-2-1 with 16 KOs.

Berto's goal is to move into the high-rent district of the welterweight ranks and says he's ready for the likes of Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao, Shane Mosley and Miguel Cotto whenever the opportunity arises.

"I think I showed in my last few fights that I have heart, I showed that I can bang with the best and I showed I can box and stick to the game plan," Berto said. " I'm turning into a complete fighter now."

Berto won easily on all three judges' scorecards with Michael Pernick scoring the fight 117-111 and Raul Nieves and Alejandro Roche both scoring it 118-110.

The fight was the nightcap of an HBO Boxing After Dark doubleheader from the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollyood, Fla.

In the co-main event, former welterweight titlist Kermit Cintron pulled off a mild upset with a unanimous decision against Mexican slugger Alfredo Angulo in a 12-round junior middleweight bout.

Angulo, one of HBO's feature new faces of boxing, came into the fight as one of the 154-pound division's bevy of bright talent. But Cintron had too much polish for him.

Judges Michael Pernick, Mike Ross and Rocky Young all scored the fight 116-112 for Cintron, who used multiple jabs and consistently unloaded the right hand to deal Angulo (15-1, 12 KOs) his first defeat.

"This is probably the best performance of my career," said Cintron (31-2-1, 27 KOs). "I had a great training camp. I give credit to my team."

Cintron, whose only two losses came via knockout against Antonio Margarito, expects the upset victory will vault him back into title contention.

"The past is the past," he said. " I'm the future and I showed it tonight. Whatever my promoter puts out there for me, it doesn't matter, 147 or 154. I feel great in both weight classes."