Boxing announcer and analyst Al Bernstein is likely to be a part of a collaborative team put forward by subscription channels Showtime and HBO who are working together to produce the monumental event that is Floyd Mayweather Jr(47-0, 26KO’s) vs Manny Pacquiao(57-5-2, 38KO’s), scheduled for May 2nd at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Bernstein has spent more time calling and watching fights than I have spent breathing air. He is a congenial figure that has been calling the biggest events for almost four decades. In fact, it is his voice we hear talking over what is considered one of the most brutal fights ever televised; Marvin Hagler vs. Tommy Hearns in 1985.
We can only hope the action in this upcoming super fight gets somewhere near the intensity reached on that night, something deemed less realistic with the cooling presence of Mayweather at hand. Nevertheless, Bernstein told the Thaboxingvoice.com he expected a good contest but refused to pick a winner given his involvement in proceedings.
“I don’t make predictions on fights I’m going to be announcing, so I won’t say whose gonna win but I think it’s going to be a very entertaining fight.”
A stock line for sure, but Bernstein indulged us with a miniature version of his ‘Keys To Victory’, a segment he produces on his Youtube Boxing Channel or on television broadcasts before fights in which he outlines what he feels each fighter must do to ensure a win. He feels the outcome of this fight all depends on what Manny Pacquiao is able to accomplish.
“The key element is whether Pacquiao can be a volume puncher. If he can throw 800 or more punches, he has a chance in this fight. If he throws less than that it’s gonna be difficult.”
A theory gleaned from the tendencies of each fighter. Pacquiao is at his overwhelming best when he floods his opponent with combinations, making him gasp for air as he eventually drowns beneath the heavy tide. This approach will be essential for success against Mayweather, whose defence is so water-tight I’m surprised he manages to get a drink of water between rounds. If Pacquiao throws one or two shots at a time Mayweather will deflect, dodge and counter, and there’s only one possible outcome when the self-proclaimed ‘The Best Ever’ starts dictating the pace.
