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AL BERNSTEIN: "I'M REALLY EXCITED...EVERYONE WATCHES A MANNY PACQUIAO FIGHT"

By Percy Crawford | March 10, 2011
AL BERNSTEIN:

"One thing about a Manny Pacquiao fight, that's a fight everybody watches. There was a debate if Mosley was a worthy opponent or not, but no matter what, everyone watches a Manny Pacquiao fight. You always want to do the fight that everyone is watching and sometimes in life, you can't. I've done some of those in the past. I've done a lot of major pay-per-views, especially in the 80's and 90's. We've done some of those at Showtime, but let's be honest, more of those kind of fights have been on HBO. It doesn't mean that Showtime hasn't done a great job. I think we've done a terrific job over the last 5 years, but a lot of the bigger fights involving the De La Hoya's, the Pacquiao's and the Mayweather's have been on HBO, so I haven't had a chance to sit there and do those. It's really wonderful to be able to do this fight that everyone is gonna be watching," stated Showtime commentator Al Bernstein, who shared his thoughts on a numbers of big pay-per-view fights that will be airing on the network, including this weekend's clash between Miguel Cotto and Ricardo Mayorga as well as the highly anticipated return of Manny Pacquiao when he takes on Shane Mosley this May. Check out what he had to say about both fights and much more.

PC: Congratulations on having the longevity you've had in this sport. 30 years is a long time to do anything. What has it been like over those 30 years going on some of the roller coaster rides and ups and downs of the sport of boxing?

AB: It's funny because I've been surviving, you know (laughing)? It is interesting. To know that it's been 30 years, and I know people say that all of the time when they are looking back, but it just doesn't feel like it's been that long. It goes by with the blink of an eye. But it's been fun. For the most part, I've been very lucky because I've had very few glitches in the road. Like everybody, I've had my share of disappointments and people saying, "We don't want you to do this." But everybody has those. I remember Barbara Streisand late in her career made a song that said, "You're always auditioning no matter how big you are." And if she can say that, God knows somebody like me can. That much is true, but I had a wonderful run at ESPN and I'm having the absolute best time of my career at Showtime. I've been allowed to do other things as well, so it's been great. I really can't say I've had as much as a rollercoaster as I could've.

PC: I'm 30 years old and you've been around the sport for as long as I have been on earth, so much respect to you. You are my favorite boxing commentator and my scorecards are always pretty close to yours.

AB: It's funny you say that because I was 30 years old when I started in the world of boxing. I was the same exact age you are now. Just before that, I had written some stories and when I was 30 years old is when I got on ESPN. That's funny you say that because it's interesting that I was the same exact age you are when I got into boxing.

PC: Well, that let's me know that I still have a chance to be the next Al Bernstein.

AB: It's making me feel pretty darn old right now that you're talking to me at the same age as I started out 30 years later (laughing).

PC: I watched the year end wrap that you conducted with Frank Shamrock and Mauro Ranallo and you seem to be taking some interest in MMA. Is MMA something you've grown an interest in since Showtime has invested so much into the sport?

AB: I know there are certain people in boxing that are not that fond of mixed martial arts, and there are people in mixed martial arts that aren't fond of boxing, but there are a lot of people, I'm going to call it a majority of MMA people, that appreciate boxing. If you put them front and center watching Juan Manuel Marquez, Katsidis, Juan Manuel Lopez or Rafael Marquez, they'd say, "Wow, this is fun," and they would have a great time. So that's number one. Number two, when Showtime got Strikeforce...well, let me say, I had done a few things for Dana White. I kind of helped him out back in the day. I did some infomercials because he asked and I've had a good relationship with him. We honored him for my wife's charity, "The Caring Place", which is a cancer facility here in Las Vegas. We helped raise hundreds of thousands of dollars. Dana and I have a nice relationship. I would never suggest that I'm an expert in MMA because I am not, but when Showtime got Strikeforce, and before that Elite XC and the Challenger Series, at one point, they needed someone to fill in and host that and asked if I would do that for them. I said I would give it a go. I spent hours and hours looking at DVD's and talking to the experts on hand, like Mauro Ranallo and Stephen Quadros and Frank Shamrock. They helped me out and I was capable of hosting the show. I did that and as I watched, I found that it was a newer sport than I thought it was at first and I gained an appreciation for it. So when we did the year end show with Mauro and Frank, I was at least able to be convulsive with them on the mixed martial arts and Strikeforce part of it, which is fine. I think the two could co-exist just fine under the big combat sports tent.

PC: This weekend we have a big fight coming up on Showtime pay-per-view. Ricardo Mayorga will take on Miguel Cotto. Mayorga looks to be in great shape for this fight and that's a big plus. How do you view that fight being that Mayorga seems to have taken it seriously?

AB: I'm going to tell you, I don't know if you seen the piece that we did where I went down to his training camp and down to Cotto's. I goofed around in the ring a little bit with Mayorga, although him goofing around...I'm sure he's a guy...I boxed years ago as an amateur and I don't know if you boxed or not, but there are some people that don't really know how to spar. They just know how to fight. I'm sure that Mayorga is one of those guys. We were in the ring and he clocked me with about 3 right hands. We were just supposed to be demonstrating things. Everyone thought it was hysterical. I wasn't laughing as much (laughing). It's been a long time since somebody nailed me with a right hand. He's kinda nuts, but I will tell you something very interesting about him, he's in shape for this fight. I don't know what that means or if it means he can win. He was almost on weight when I visited with him over 10 days ago and he's really trying, so because he's the naturally bigger 154-pounder, and God knows he has flaws as a boxer...the thing about the fight that I find interesting, and I don't mind saying it because it's not just me hyping the pay-per-view, but the reason I think this fight is interesting and the reason I think it's going to be 4 to 6 rounds of great action before somebody falls is Miguel Cotto can be hurt. He was hurt by Demarcus Corley at 140 pounds. He's been hurt by about 70% of the people that he's fought. At some point, they hurt him. Now, to Miguel Cotto's everlasting credit, and it's the reason he's a future Hall of Famer, except for twice in his career, which one is questionable now because of the incident with Margarito and we just don't know if something was in the gloves, but except for twice in his career, he's gotten past it and he's won. But you are fighting at 154 pounds for only the second time in your career, so that's why I think...you asked the most important question, is Mayorga in shape? I think yes. It sure appears that way to me and if he is, that makes this a real fight.

PC: Another interesting thing is we've seen Ricardo Mayorga go 12 hard rounds in not so good of shape, so looking at his physique, he seems to be in great shape and it will be interesting to see him go into a fight so prepared.

AB: He's a freak of nature. Me and Al Bonanni were talking about him and he smokes a half of pack of cigarettes and then goes and runs for 5 miles. Then he comes back and smokes the other half of the pack. He is some freak of nature. You're right, the Mosley fight, even though I know he's only fought once in the last two years and that's an issue for him, but I remember being at the Mosley fight and he was winning the Mosley fight before he got knocked out. I'm just saying, given everything, I don't think this is a one-sided fight. Is Miguel Cotto a better fighter than Ricardo Mayorga? Certainly! Is he more sound technically? Absolutely! Does he have a better resume in his career? Certainly! But Ricardo Mayorga is dangerous in this fight. I had Andre Ward, he worked with us on www.theboxingchannel.com doing some coverage for Nonito Donaire and Fernando Montiel. He said that this was a dangerous fight for Cotto and if he was Cotto's manager, he would have steered clear of him.

PC: Showtime has both the Bantamweight Tournament coming back as well as the Super Six returning later this year. Do you see either Joseph Agbeko or Abner Mares posing a threat to Nonito Donaire at this point?

AB: Let me tell you something, I love Showtime and I am the most loyal Showtime person in the world. And I love our Bantamweight Tournament. Neither Joseph Agbeko nor Abner Mares can beat Nonito Donaire right now, and that's taking nothing away from Agbeko or Mares. I think our tournament is terrific and I think the two fights we had were great. Mares ekes out a victory over Darchinyan that could have gone either way. Agbeko fought a brilliant fight against Perez. I don't think anybody at 118 pounds could touch Nonito Donaire. I thought that ever since he beat Darchinyan and that same statement may be true at 122 pounds as well. Nonito Donaire, there is only one thing standing in between Nonito Donaire and his potential greatness and that's himself. Will his issues with his family mentally ever work on him and will he mentally make sure he stays in shape for every fight? Those are the only issues preventing Nonito Donaire from dominating every human being up to 126 pounds. What he will do with Juan Manuel Lopez or even moreso Yuriorkis Gamboa, that's a different story. But up to 126 pounds, there is not a human on this planet that can beat Nonito Donaire.

PC: Showtime is on the verge of having a huge year in the combat world, particularly in boxing. Bob Arum deciding to bring some of his guys over to Showtime is, in my opinion, one of the biggest moves we've seen in boxing in recent times. Not only do you have Miguel Cotto coming over, but what is it like for you to be preparing to call a Manny Pacquiao fight in May?

AB: Yeah, it's great. I'm really excited about it. We've had some great fights here at Showtime the past 4 or 5 years, but obviously this year we're kicking it up a notch. It's just exciting. We have Juan Manuel Lopez in April, we've got our Super Six semifinals in May, and now to add Pacquiao, that's going to be excited. One thing about a Manny Pacquiao fight, that's a fight everybody watches. There was a debate if Mosley was a worthy opponent or not, but no matter what, everyone watches a Manny Pacquiao fight. You always want to do the fight that everyone is watching and sometimes in life, you can't. I've done some of those in the past. I've done a lot of major pay-per-views, especially in the 80's and 90's. We've done some of those at Showtime, but let's be honest, more of those kind of fights have been on HBO. It doesn't mean that Showtime hasn't done a great job. I think we've done a terrific job over the last 5 years, but a lot of the bigger fights involving the De La Hoya's, the Pacquiao's and the Mayweather's have been on HBO, so I haven't had a chance to sit there and do those. It's really wonderful to be able to do this fight that everyone is gonna be watching.

PC: I know it's still early in the year, but what has stuck out in your mind so far this year in the sport of boxing?

AB: Two things stick out in my mind from this early year in boxing. One is the amazing victory of Donaire over Montiel; the fact that he was able to do it so easy. I had a feeling he might. That was amazing. Another thing, and again, not to be a shill, but our fight between Miguel Acosta and Brandon Rios to me was one of the best lightweight fights I've seen in years. Brandon Rios himself is a standout now because he may have beaten the best lightweight in the world. Miguel Acosta was so good in that fight and watching tape of him, he is so good. So for Rios to get through those first 5 rounds, in which he was raped over, and to be able to win it was pretty extraordinary.

PC: I appreciate your time. Keep doing a great job over at Showtime. I know you have a lot going on. Anything you want to say or plug before I let you go?

AB: I'm enjoying the emergence of my boxing channel, www.theboxingchannel.com. We've done a really good job on covering these fights. This Thursday at 6:30 PST we're going to be doing a live stream of Don King and Bob Arum meeting. They are going to be on stage just talking and I'm going to be the moderator and we're going to stream it live on www.theboxingchannel.com. We will have coverage of the fight this week of Mayorga/Cotto too, so it should be a lot of fun. The meeting with King and Arum has never really happened in that venue and in that way, so they asked me to moderate it and I was delighted. When they said they could stream it on the website, I thought it was great. I think people want to see that. It was a delight to visit with you and we will have to do it again.



[ Follow Percy Crawford on Twitter @MrLouis1ana ]

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