Victor Ortiz was impressive in his April win over Andre Berto that featured several knockdowns. Ortiz ended up winning by unanimous decision, but it was an eventful fight; Ortiz was knocked down twice and lost a point for hitting behind the head while Berto was also knocked down twice. For anyone who was watching the fight, it was apparent that Ortiz came out with a purpose. Here’s what we wrote about his performance at the time:
“Victor was relentless throughout the fight, constantly moving forward and delivering more punches than a ballot box on election day. … Ortiz’s motor cannot be understated. Though he took some good shots in the second and sixth and got dropped, he was the best fighter and was in attack mode the entire time.”
Now, several weeks later, we’re hearing Berto’s explanation for why things went the way they did. He wrote on his twitter page that Ortiz must have been on something. Here are all his accusatory tweets, and start from the bottom up when you read them (click twice to enlarge):
Berto’s trainer acknowledged that some people are cheating, but he doesn’t like accusations because he feels they only hurt the sport. His trainer, Tony Morgan, just felt like it was Ortiz’s night and that Berto wasn’t right in his head the entire fight. That’s exactly how I felt. But what if Berto’s right and Ortiz was on something that turned him into the raging bull in the ring that he was? That would explain why Ortiz looked like such a machine and why Berto was taken out of the fight mentally. Just a thought. Also, fellow boxer Anthony Dirrell supported his comments saying “I know what he was taking too.”
We already know that PED usage is a problem in combat sports, so it’s extremely bothersome to read accusations like this. Maybe boxing needs to follow Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s lead and use Olympic-style testing leading up to and after fights. Perhaps that’s the best way to ensure peace of mind amongst fighters and fans.
