Hall of Fame Boxing announcer Al Bernstein says the heavyweight division will receive a jolt in the United States when Bermane Stiverne faces Deontay Wilder on January 17th in Las Vegas. He calls this fight “pivotal in a changing paradigm in the heavyweight division.”
Bernstein, who will be on the broadcast team for this fight, said, “The heavyweight division has, for the most part, been dormant in America in recent years. It began an awakening with the exciting match between Bermane Stiverne and Chris Arreola and now the Stiverne-Deontay Wilder title match will propel that momentum. I see January 17th as an important date for the heavyweights and for boxing in general. I see this fight as an exciting one likely to provide action and a knockout—just what fans want from heavyweights.”
Bernstein believes that in the United States a major heavyweight match like this one will provide a spark for the division and for boxing by igniting interest in the mainstream sports media to cover it.
Bernstein added, “The seat of power in the heavyweight division will soon shift from eastern Europe to the United Kingdom and The United States. This match, along with the big heavyweight fights and emerging prospects in England, could push that process along.”
