Winter Haven’s Andre Berto will step in the ring Saturday nigh in Los Angeles against veteran Steve Forbes. It’s likely one of the toughest opponents Berto has faced and making this matchup even more intriguing is the fact Berto will be defending the WBC welterweight belt he collected in June with a seventh round TKO of Miki Rodriguez for the vacant strap.

Here’s a press release regarding the fight…

World Champion Andre Berto Arrives in Los Angeles for his September 27 Battle with Steve Forbes

(LOS ANGELES, CALIF.) – Reigning world champion Andre Berto (Winter Haven, Fla.) made the cross-country trek to Southern California on Tuesday, arriving in Los Angeles for his September 27 welterweight clash with former World Champion Steve “Two Pounds” Forbes (Las Vegas, Nev.) at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif.

The 25-year-old Berto completed a five-week training camp in his hometown of Winter Haven, Fla., in preparation for his first title defense against the veteran Forbes. He believes the hard work will pay off as the takes the ring for the first time as a World Champion. Although he has never fought in the Los Angeles area, he has spent a great deal of time in Southern California and looks forward to building his fan base.

“I am very excited about touching down here in Los Angeles,” Berto said. “We had a tremendous camp and L.A. is almost like a second home so I am looking forward to performing and giving the people a great show.”

Berto opened training camp on August 19 in central Florida for his first title defense. He claimed the WBC Welterweight title vacated by Floyd Mayweather, Jr., with a seventh round knockout of Miguel Angel Rodriguez on June 21. His match-up with Forbes will provide a new and unique challenge for the rising star as he looks to make an imprint on the boxing world. 

“He’s a former world champion and just came off a good fight with Oscar de la Hoya so it’s going to be a good test for me. I have something to prove,” Berto said.

In preparation for Forbes, Berto brought in smaller sparring partners and he and trainer Tony Morgan chose to focus on speed and boxing.  He made a return to his roots for his recent camp, training in the same Winter Haven PAL gym that he worked out in as an amateur.

A 2004 Haitian Olympian, Berto has quickly risen to the top of the boxing ranks, building a 22-0 record with an astonishing 19 knockouts. He has developed a reputation for knocking out boxers previously known as unstoppable, and hopes to continue the trend in his contest with Forbes.

The Berto vs. Forbes match-up will be the co-feature on the September 27 card with Shane Mosley and Ricardo Mayorga’s contest serving as the main event. Both fights will be televised live on HBO’s World Championship Boxing.

Tickets for the event priced at $350, $150, $75 and $50 are on sale now and can be purchased at all Ticketmaster outlets, on the Web at www.Ticketmaster.com or charge-by-phone at (213) 480-3232. Tickets are also available for sale at The Home Depot Center Box Office, open Monday through Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. PT, and on event days. Event suites, group packages and VIP packages are available by calling 1-877-AEG-TICKETS (1-877-234-8425) or by visiting www.aegtickets.com.