Zaveck expressed the hope that a victory in his us debut would boost his career saying that "A win over someone like Berto will elevate me to a whole new level. Just like everyone else, I want to fight Mayweather and [Manny] Pacquiao, and I see this fight as my golden opportunity to make that happen."[4]
The fight
Despite being a 4-to-1 underdog coming into the fight, Zaveck proved competitive; trading clean punches with Berto and earning praise from HBO's Roy Jones Jr. In the fifth round, a number of cuts opened on Zavec's face, which resulted in Zaveck's corner waiving the fight off before the sixth round.[5]
Aftermath
Berto thanked the Slovenian fans for traveling over to America to cheer their countryman on. He would call his performance "so-so", despite becoming a two-time welterweight champion.[6]
Just over two months later he would vacate his IBF title rather than face mandatory challengerRandall Bailey in order to facilitate a rematch with Ortiz.[7] However, after Berto tested positive for a banned substance, the rematch against Ortiz planned for June 23, 2012, was cancelled.[8]
↑ Redakcja. "Dejan Zavec - Paul Malignaggi 18 czerwca?"[Dejan Zavec - Paul Malignaggi June 18?]. ringpolska.pl - boks, MMA, sporty walki, największy portal bokserski w Polsce (in Slovenian). Archived from the original on 8 December 2022. Retrieved 4 September 2019.
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