Hall of Fame Boxing announcer Al Bernstein feels the December 10 doubleheader on Showtime is “exactly the right way to end the year on the network.”
On the December 10 show Jesus Cuellar defends his WBA Featherweight title against former champion Abner Mares and Jermall Charlo defends his IBF 154 Junior Middleweight title against top contender Julian Williams.
Bernstein said “This card is both an ending to the year and a beginning to a great run of matches planned on SHOWTIME. In each fight in this doubleheader we have a terrific champion taking on a big challenge. Cuellar fights against at experienced former champion who at age 31 wants to start a new title reign, while Charlo faces a mirror image of himself, a young powerful fighter who believes the sky is the limit.”
Bernstein, who will call the action at ringside, said Mares-Cuellar has the makings of a bruising battle. “Cuellar is a lefty, but a lefty who engages and Mares is an aggressive fighter who has had some great wars with left-handers in his career. This will be a high punch volume fight that is not likely to end early.”
Bernstein thinks that power will play a big role in the Charlo-Williams match up. “Both these men are KO punchers as well as being skilled technicians,” he said. He added, “The power part of the equation could be what makes the difference, I suspect this is not going the distance and power punching will rule the day.”
“Both the featherweight and junior middleweight divisions are loaded with talent and the winners (and maybe losers) in these two fights will engage in big fights in 2017, “ Bernstein said.
Al will also join Brian Custer and Paulie Malignaggi on December 10 in hosting the SHOWTIME telecast of IBF Heavyweight Champion Anthony Joshua defending his crown against Eric Molina. That fight will be seen at 5:30 EST/2:30 PST.
