Promoter DiBella lands Berto-Collazo bout

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Promoter Lou DiBella has won a World Boxing Council purse bid for the right to stage welterweight champion Andre Berto‘s next title defense against New York’s Luis Collazo, the WBC announced on Monday.

DiBella, who promotes Berto, told The Times the bout will occur on Jan. 17 at a site to be determined. The fight will be televised by HBO.

Berto (23-0, 19 knockouts) successfully defended his belt in September by winning a unanimous decision over Steve Forbes at Home Depot Center.

Collazo (29-3, 14 KOs) scored a TKO victory on the same night at Home Depot. He is poised to earn 30% ($202,500) of DiBella’s $675,000 purse.

‘It’s a tough fight, but Andre’s 25 years old and it’s another step along his growth curve,’ DiBella said. ‘When he wins, we’ll look for the biggest opponent out there.’

The rich welterweight division -- which now includes Oscar De La Hoya and Manny Pacquiao -- could ultimately have Berto as its unified king. The hard-punching ex-Olympian had been engaged in talks to defend his belt against Pomona’s ‘Sugar’ Shane Mosley. But Mosley is now scheduled to fight another world welterweight champion, Antonio Margarito, on Jan. 24 at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.

--Lance Pugmire

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