Hall of Fame boxing broadcaster, who has announced over 150 major pay-per-view telecasts in his career, says the undercard for the upcoming Canelo Alvarez-Jermell Charlo 168 pound title match is “perhaps the best of any I’ve done. ” Al Bernstein will be on the announce team for this September 30 SHOWTIME PPV telecast beginning at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.
The undercard features Erickson Lubin vs. Jesus Ramos in a battle of 154-pound contenders, former welterweight champ Yordenis Ugas taking on former 140-pound title holder Mario Barrios and two exciting middleweight prospects with Elijah Garcia battling Jose Resendiz. Bernstein said, “I think every one of these matches could be terrific and one or two may be fight of the year candidates.”
Here he breaks down each match:
Ugas vs. Barrios: “Former champ Ugas comes back from a long layoff, suffering an injury in his battle with Errol Spence. He wants to show he’s still at the top of his game and belongs in the conversation as a top welterweight. This fight has enormous implications for him and he will fight that way. He’s an excellent ring technician. Barrios is still looking for a major win at 147 after holding the 140-pound title. He fought well but lost to Keith Thurman and this is his chance to show he belongs in the division’s top tier. The style matchup is a good one. Neither is a huge puncher but they both can be combination punchers who will throw and land punches. It will be competitive all the way through.”
Lubin vs. Ramos: “This is a fantastic match up. Both men are action fighters with pop in their punches. Lubin has been near the top of the 154-pound division for years but has not broken through to win a title. He had a good win after his loss to Sebastian Fundora. Lubin fights the toughest opposition available to him at 154 and here he’s doing it again. The 23 year old Ramos is thought by many to be the future at 154 pounds. He’s already fought very tough opposition, with a win over Brian Mendoza, who is challenging for a 154 pound title. There is no way this does not become a firefight. This is a pivotal fight in the junior middleweight division with a lot on the line, especially for Lubin. It will be a war.”
Garcia vs. Resendiz: “Two young middleweights with huge potential. That division is not deep, so a big win here could vault the winner very high up the rankings. Garcia, at age 20, has already scored a KO win over contender Amilcar Vidal in a wildly exciting match. He is a power punching lefty who overcomes slow starts to close the show. Resendiz scored a signature win over former 154-pound champ Jarrett Hurd in an action-packed bout. The key to this fight is whether Resendiz can take advantage of Garcia’s typically slow start or allow Garcia to pick up steam as the fight goes on. These are two young, skilled and exciting middleweights—something that division has needed. This is going to be a shootout.”
IN OTHER NEWS:
Al Bernstein will return to the Tuscany Suites and Casino to kick off the Canelo-Charlo fight weekend with his music show on Thursday, September 28 in the Piazza Lounge. He’ll do two shows at 8 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. There is no cover charge. As always Al will do songs from the Great American songbook as well as country and blues tunes, plus special material written for him. The show will also include a boxing trivia segment where audience members can win prizes provided by SHOWTIME Sports.
Al has done music shows before big fights dating back to the Marvin Hagler-Sugar Ray Leonard 1987 mega fight. He’s done pre-fight engagements at the Las Vegas Hilton, Riviera, Caesar’s Palace, Mandalay Bay and now at the Tuscany. “I’m so glad to be back at the Tuscany Suites and Casino doing the show. There is no more imitated or better music venue in Las Vegas than the Piazza Lounge. Virtually every night they have talented performers there providing music of all genres. It’s a joy performing there. These shows are fun because they give boxing fans, fighters and boxing personalities a place to gather to start off the big fight weekend.”
