Welterweight titlist Andre Berto, a Haitian-American who called off Saturday's unification fight with Shane Mosley after eight members of his extended family were killed in the Haiti earthquake, went on a humanitarian mission to Haiti to bring aid.
Berto also brought his sister and her daughter back to the United States after their home was destroyed by the quake.
Berto has stayed busy doing his part to help in Haiti. But he's also anxious to get back to boxing, especially after putting in nearly a full training camp in preparation to fight Mosley.
"Now he's gung ho to get back in the ring," promoter Lou DiBella told me the other day. "Andre feels the best way to help Haiti now is to get back in the ring and do his thing, and help raise more money and awareness."
That ring return could come April 10 on HBO at New York's Madison Square Garden, DiBella said.
There has been early conversation about Berto facing former junior welterweight titlist Paulie Malignaggi, whom DiBella also promotes and who is coming off an impressive win against Juan Diaz in their December rematch.
"The idea has been thrown out, but we haven't yet had substantive conversations," DiBella said. "Until [Berto manager] Al Haymon and I can sit down and talk with Andre, nothing is going to happen. But it's an idea that's been kicked around."
DiBella put a hold on the Garden for April 10 a few weeks ago when Malignaggi was raised as a possible opponent for Floyd Mayweather Jr.. It was a fortuitous move, because now it might be used for Berto-Malignaggi.
"Andre wants to do an event that will help Haiti, and there's a huge Haitian population in New York and Madison Square Garden is a very attractive place to a fight," DiBella said. "Wherever Andre fights, it will have a fundraising element to the fight."
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