High Stakes in Berto vs. Guerrero

by Eric Raskin

Andre Berto, Robert Guerrero

Every boxer sees his momentum stall at one point or another. That’s the nature of the sport. There will be injuries. There will be defeats. There will be setbacks.

The unpredictability inherent in any boxing career arc is a reality with which Robert Guerrero and Andre Berto are intimately familiar. They are world-class talents who have both struggled to achieve full-steam-ahead career momentum -- in part due to the usual suspects, injuries and upset defeats.

But they’ve each suffered a more atypical setback as well. Guerrero got not just his career but his entire life rocked when his wife, Casey, was diagnosed with cancer in her mid-20s. Berto saw not just his career trajectory but his personal reputation assailed when he tested positive in May 2012 for performance enhancing drugs.

Guerrero and Berto, for very different reasons, know how suddenly the pause button can be pressed. Berto hasn’t fought for 14 months; Guerrero is one fight removed from a 15-month layoff. So they both understand that every opportunity to establish momentum is an opportunity that must be seized. When these two 29-year-old warriors clash on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, there’s more at stake than a single win or loss. One man will put his setbacks behind him, while the other will risk being defined by them.

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