By Al Bernstein July 17th, 2009 All Boxing Articles
OK, this is a little awkward. When the news broke this week that Showtime has created a six man tournament in the super middleweight division I was, well, ecstatic.
I love the talent in super middleweight division, and I think boxing needs something fresh and daring like this tourney. Now those are my honest, gut level reactions to this news.
Here’s the awkward part. Since I’m employed as the lead boxing analyst for Showtime Championship Boxing, it’s just barely possible that some might think that kind of enthusiasm is not arrived at objectively.
They might reasonably assume that I have a more subjective agenda in praising this new venture…like keeping my job. Well, I won’t deny that my 10 year old son’s penchant for purchasing every Star Wars item ever made means I can hardly afford a loss in income.
But, my giddy reaction to the super six tourney is as genuine as could be. You can suggest it’s misguided or even wrong, but you can’t get me for being a total company man.
I could trot out the argument that my track record as a broadcaster suggests fairness, and I could point to the countless times I have praised the product of other networks in columns like this or on my boxing channel.
But I have a better and less narcissistic argument to use—my reaction must be an honest one because it’s the same as everyone else’s. Virtually every boxing writer, broadcaster or fan I have talked to or listened to has said the same thing—this is great.
Perhaps there are a few complete misanthropes intent on concentrating on the potential pitfalls like injuries, mid-tourney retirements, or old fashioned contract breaking. Finding those people is about as hard as finding Miguel Cotto fans in the Phillipines. More...