Al Bernstein On Boxing: Boxing Is All The Way Back

A few months ago I did a commentary on my boxing channel (also seen on this website) that lambasted the mainstream media for poor coverage of boxing. In that commentary I pointed out that boxing’s product was back to being as good as anytime in it’s history. What boxing really needs, I said, is to be covered.

Well, for the Manny Pacquiao –Miguel Cotto fight the press—all the press—did it’s job. Newspapers, television, magazines, radio and of course the internet, gave that fight the coverage it deserved. And, because of that and the fact that it was a compelling and important match, 1.25 million homes bought the pay per view. The match itself was exciting and Pacquiao’s performance was dazzling.

All that was dramatic enough, but then boxing did what it has been doing for the last four or five years—it gave it’s fans just what they wanted. Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Pacquiao agreed to fight each other—and what’s more they agreed to do it on March 13th of next year. That last part is really significant because it allows the sport to take advantage of the momentum it has created this year.

Now, boxing is all the way back. In 2010 we already have the Shane Mosley-Andre Berto welterweight title match set for Jan. 30, and the Mayweather Pacquiao megafight for March 13. Berto and Mosley could be a barnburner of a fight, and it will get it’s share of coverage. Then all eyes will turn to boxing for the Mayweather-Pacquiao battle.

Creating a deal between Mayweather and Pacquiao should have taken longer and been more difficult, but it wasn’t. Top Rank Chief Bob Arum and Golden Boy head man Richard Schaefer should be congratulated by everyone who loves the sport. They did what’s best for their companies, for their clients and for the sport. Everyone will make a lot of money, fans will see a history making match, and boxing will be on everyone’s lips leading up to and after this match.

Even the most cynical among us would have a hard time seeing a downside to any of this. Next year I celebrate my 30th year as a boxing broadcaster and I can’t remember one that started off with any more promise than 2010.

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This Saturday the Showtime Championship Boxing series concludes it’s 2009 with a match I can’t wait to announce. Tim Bradley defends his junior welterweight title against Lamont Peterson in a battle of undefeated fighters.

They both throw hundreds of punches per fight, both are excellent ring technicians and both have only moderate power. So, that adds up to many rounds of non-stop action.

This last sentence perfectly describes the Paul Williams-Sergio Martinez match this past weekend. It was a match that many thought would be dominated by Williams, but nothing like that happened. It was well contested all the way along, and many (including me) could easily have lived with a draw.

Instead Williams got a majority decision. That would not constitute some terrible injustice all by itself, but the 119-110 scorecard by Pierre Benoist, left a bad taste in all our mouths. If, in fact, Williams does meet Kelly Pavlik after all, this close call will add drama to that meeting.