Jan Zaveck vs. Andre Berto


Jan Zaveck vs. Andre Berto was a professional boxing match contested on September 3, 2011, for the International Boxing Federation welterweight title. The fight took place at the Beau Rivage Resort & Casino, in Biloxi, Mississippi, United States on September 3, 2011 and was televised via HBO's Boxing After Dark.

Background

After discussions to fight Paulie Malignaggi on the Canelo Álvarez vs. Ryan Rhodes undercard fell through, Zaveck traveled to Biloxi, Mississippi to face Andre Berto who had just lost the WBC welterweight title to Victor Ortiz.
Zaveck expressed the hope that a victory in his us debut would boost his career saying that "A win over someone like Berto will elevate me to a whole new level. Just like everyone else, I want to fight Mayweather and Pacquiao, and I see this fight as my golden opportunity to make that happen."

The fight

Despite being a 4-to-1 underdog coming into the fight, Zaveck proved competitive; trading clean punches with Berto and earning praise from HBO's Roy Jones Jr. In the fifth round, a number of cuts opened on Zavec's face, which resulted in Zaveck's corner waiving the fight off before the sixth round.

Aftermath

Berto thanked the Slovenian fans for traveling over to America to cheer their countryman on. He would call his performance "so-so", despite becoming a two-time welterweight champion.
Just over two months later he would vacate his IBF title rather than face mandatory challenger Randall Bailey in order to facilitate a rematch with Ortiz. However, after Berto tested positive for a banned substance, the rematch against Ortiz planned for June 23, 2012, was cancelled.

Undercard

Confirmed bouts:

Televised

Preliminary card