Andre Berto's mind is on Mosley, heart is in Haiti
WBC welterweight champion Andre Berto is awaiting word on family members living in Haiti after a 7.0 magnitude earthquake hit the island nation on Tuesday.
“My family and I are working to reach my loved ones,” said Berto. “From what we have learned to this point, some of my family members are still missing and we have already been informed that members of my family have passed away in the earthquake.”
Berto, who represented Haiti at the 2004 Olympics, lives with his immediate family in Winter Haven, Florida. He is scheduled to defend his title against Sugar Shane Mosley on January 30 in Las Vegas. According to the Associated Press and other news accounts, as many as 500,000 are feared dead.
“He’s distraught,” said Lou DiBella, Berto’s New York-based promoter. “He has cousins, aunts, uncles, other relatives all over Haiti. A lot of them were in Port-Au-Prince. Information is trickling out with by computer and cell phone. He’s reaching out for as much information as he can.”
According to DiBella, Berto remains in training camp focused on the Mosley fight. But he spends his time away from the gym trying to gather more information from Haiti. The fighter believes that defeating Mosley will help raise his profile here, and thus he will raise more awareness of the tragedy.
“We are currently working on starting our own Haitian relief efforts,” said Berto. “I am asking everyone for their continued thoughts and prayers for the people in Haiti during this devastating time.”
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