Former welterweight champion Andre Berto on Wednesday had what is being called successful surgery to repair a ruptured tendon in his right shoulder, according to a news release.

The surgery was performed by Dr. Neal ElAttrache in Los Angeles. Once in, Dr. ElAttrache discovered the tendon had been completely torn, top to bottom.

Berto might be able to begin rehabilitation in six weeks, and begin boxing training in four months.

“I am happy to have the surgery behind me and hear that everything went well,” said Berto, who tore the tendon early in his 12th-round TKO loss to Jesus Soto Karass on July 27. “I’m going to rest up and focus all my energy on my recovery so that I can return to the ring full force in 2014.”

Berto, 29, has lost three of his past four after starting 27-0.

Former welterweight champion Andre Berto on Wednesday will undergo surgery in Los Angeles to repair a torn tendon in his right shoulder sustained during his 12th-round technical-knockout loss to Jesus Soto Karass on July 27 in San Antonio.

Berto said he suffered the injury in the second round.

“I threw a punch in the second round and when Soto Karass blocked it, my right upper arm connected with his and it felt like fire shot through my arm,” Berto said. “I had no power at all in that right arm and couldn’t hold it up to defend myself. I kept trying to use it, but midway through the fight, I realized I couldn’t and just tried to work my left hand and throw jabs.”

Berto said out of sheer instinct he used his right, and he intimated the pain was excruciating.

“I could see that Soto Karass and the referee (Jon Schorle) heard me (yelling from the pain), and the referee and doctor kept coming to the corner between rounds to check on the injury, but there was no way I was going to quit,” Berto said.

Berto, 29, is from Winter Haven, Fla. He has now lost three of his past four bouts.

Jesus Soto Karass of Mexico earned the biggest victory of his career Saturday night when he stopped former two-time welterweight champion Andre Berto at 48 seconds of the 12th round of their main event at AT&T Center in San Antonio.

The fight was even at the time with each fighter having a two-point lead on a card with the other card even.

Berto put himself in good position by dropping Soto Karass in the 11th round with a body shot that appeared borderline low. But Soto Karass returned the favor in the 12th, smacking Berto to the ground with a left hook to the chin. Berto got up right away, but on very wobbly legs and the referee stepped in.

Berto (28-3), of Winter Haven, Fla., has now lost three of his past four. Soto Karass (28-8-3, 18 KOs) has won two consecutive bouts since being stopped in the eighth round by Marcos Maidana in September 2012.

In other action, Omar Figueroa (22-0-1) of Weslaco, Texas, won an interim lightweight belt with a unanimous decision over Nihito Arakawa (24-3-1) of Japan in a 12-round thriller.

Also, Keith “One Time” Thurman knocked out Diego Chaves of Argentina in the 10th round of their interim welterweight title fight. Thurman, of Clearwater, Fla., is 21-0 with 19 knockouts. Chaves (22-1) sustained his first loss.