Even after a more than 30 year career of announcing boxing, Hall of Fame broadcaster Al Bernstein will have a “first” on Saturday, December 15. He’ll do two shows in one day on two different networks.
Al will join Mauro Ranallo and Paulie Malignaggi at ringside for a Showtime Championship Boxing show to air on CBS at 4:30 p.m. EST and then at 9:30 EST they will announce a Showtime Championship Boxing show on SHOWTIME. The CBS show features Leo Santa Cruz defending his IBF Bantamweight title against undefeated Alberto Guevara. In the evening on Showtime the main event will be former 140 pound champ Amir Khan taking on Carlos Molina.
“This is an ambitious undertaking by Showtime Sports, and we are all really looking forward to it,” Al said. “I’ve done most things in sports television over these many years, but not this. It’s exciting to participate in this endeavor and see boxing back on CBS as a part of this,” he added.
Bernstein called the 24 year old Santa Cruz “one of the most exciting fighters in boxing, and one of the busiest.” In the last seven months Santa Cruz has won a world title and defended it twice already.
For Amir Khan the task is to rebuild his career after two straight losses. To help him in this he has enlisted the aid of a new trainer, Virgil Hunter, who also trains super middleweight champ Andre Ward. Al said, “Amir Khan is a very talented fighter in a must win fight. Molina, a lightweight contender, is stepping up to 140 for this opportunity—he has nothing to lose and he steps in with much less pressure in this match. That makes him dangerous.”
