Shane Mosley to Face Andre Berto Next

LAS VEGAS -- Shane Mosley will fight Andre Berto, the 26-year-old WBC welterweight champion, on Jan. 30 at The Mandalay Bay Hotel in Las Vegas, a source familiar with the negotiations informed FanHouse on Thursday.

A deal for the matchup has been in the works for months, and it will be announced here on Saturday, the same day as WBO welterweight (147-pounds) champion, Miguel Cotto (34-1, 27 knockouts) defends his crown against Manny Pacquiao (49-3-2, 37 KOs) at the MGM Grand Hotel.

In an interview last month with FanHouse, Berto said he "dreamed" of fighting Cotto, Pacquiao and Mosley in particular.

"With my left hand, I see Shane Mosley. With the right hand, I see Manny Pacquiao. Left hook, I see Miguel Cotto," said Berto, who is 25-0 with 19 knockouts."It's just that I have all of their spirits just haunting me in the gym. They pop up from time to time in my sleep, too.

"I've already envisioned myself fighting all of those guys, and seeing the outcomes, seeing how the fight will end up."

Mosley (46-5, 39 KOs) has won his last two bouts over former world champions Ricardo Mayorga and Antonio Margarito by knockouts in the 12th and ninth rounds, respectively.

Mosley, the WBA's super champion, also owns two victories over Oscar De La Hoya, but is considered to be an aging fighter, having turned 38 on Sept. 7.

Berto is considered a rising star in a 147-pound class stocked with talent, including Floyd Mayweather, Antonio Margarito and Joshua Clottey.

Last month, Berto and his promoter, Lou DiBella, indicated that a decision on Mosley was close, but not done. DiBella believed that "the likelihood is that we'll get a deal done" for Mosley.

"It's not done yet. I'll be working on that for the next week or two," DiBella said on Oct. 24. "I think that the fight would likely be January 30, but it's not done yet. If it's Mosley, then it will be at the Mandalay Bay."

If the deal had not been made, Berto said he was considering a unification bout with IBF champion Isaac Hlatshwayo (29-1-1, 10 KOs) of Soweto, South Africa.

"It's just a matter of getting the right fight done and putting it into play. We're trying real hard to make that a reality right now," said Berto, who earned his title as a 24-year-old with a June, 2008, seventh-round knockout of Miguel Angel Rodriguez.

"I want Shane, but I'm not going to chase him," said Berto. "If Shane doesn't happen, there are a few other options. We're just trying to see what happens."

DiBella told FanHouse that Mosley was a risky, yet necessary, fight for his prospect.

"For a very young kid like Berto, who has just turned 26, it's a great opportunity to fight a first ballot Hall of Famer like Mosley," DiBella said. "You have to take that opportunity, because a victory changes your life immediately.

"Frankly, a really good performance, even if it doesn't result in a victory, is still a victory when you're fighting that level of guy. But I think that Andre is strong enough, fast enough and fresh enough that he would have a great chance to upset Mosley."

Berto said that he has heard "mixed reaction" as to his chances against Mosley.

"A lot of people say that Shane may have too much experience for me, and that I'm too young for Shane," Berto said of Mosley, who is exactly 11 years older than Berto as each were born on Sept. 7.

"Some people feel as if I have too much energy for him and that he's a little to old now," said Berto. "Some people think I have the speed, I'm too young for him. I'm too fast and have too much power, and that youth will be served. I'll beat him easily.

"I'm just hearing a lot of different things."