Boxing fans were dealt another blow Tuesday with the postponement of the highly-anticipated Feb. 11 rematch between welterweights Andre Berto and Victor Ortiz.
According to the Los Angeles Times, the 28-year-old Berto needs arthroscopic surgery after injuring his left biceps while sparring.
"It does not appear to be a seven-month injury, but the fight is absolutely off on that day [Feb. 11]," Berto's promoter Lou DiBella told the Times.
It is unclear how long Berto will be on the sidelines.
The postponement comes on the heels of the proposed Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao showdown being ruled out for May.
Berto and Ortiz were set to reprise their epic bout from last April, which ended up being named Ring Magazine's Fight of the Year. Both fighters hit the canvas twice in the contest.
Ortiz was victorious by unanimous decision in the 12-round slugfest, propelling him to a September matchup with Mayweather that he lost in controversial fashion.
Ortiz (29-3) was knocked out in the fourth round when Mayweather hit him while he appeared not to realize the referee had restarted the right after a brief stoppage.
Berto (28-1), a native of Haiti, held the IBF welterweight title after a win over Jan Zaveck in September, but vacated the belt when he chose to fight Ortiz instead of IBF-mandated challenger Randall Bailey, according to The Boxing Tribune.
