2010 marks the 30th year as a national broadcaster for Hall of Fame boxing announcer Al Bernstein. Bernstein has been the voice of boxing on Showtime since 2003, serving as analyst on the Showtime Championship Boxing series and sometimes host of the ShoBox series. He started his national broadcasting career in 1980 as analyst on the Top Rank Boxing series on ESPN. At the 1992 and 1996 Olympic Games he served as analyst on NBC’s boxing coverage..
Starting in 1983 with the Marvin Hagler-Roberto Duran fight, Al has called over 60 major pay per view telecasts of fights featuring ring legends like Sugar Ray Leonard, Tommy Hearns, Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield, George Foreman Oscar DeLaHoya, Roy Jones Jr. and many more.
“It’s hard to believe that it’s been 30 years,” Bernstein said, “it feels like yesterday that I started, and it’s especially nice marking this milestone at Showtime where I am enjoying the most rewarding and meaningful years of my career. And, I am really excited that in my 30th year, the sport of boxing has such momentum, and is headed for a memorable year that I can help chronicle for the fans.”
Adie Zuckerman, managing director of Al Bernstein Live, said that her office is coordinating a number of special events marking this milestone. “Al has been a great ambassador for boxing,” she said, “and this year in particular he will continue to assume that role with appearances around the U.S. and the world at boxing events where boxing fans will have a chance to celebrate this anniversary with him.”
A series of special appearances are planned for Al to perform his interactive stage show, “The Al Bernstein Boxing Party,” with a special emphasis on his experiences over the last 30 years. Al has performed this show all around the U.S. at casinos, theaters and sports venues over the last 20 years. Al will be speaking at a several Universities to address sports/journalism students as well as making special appearances at many charitable events around the world. “I am really grateful for the chance to be a part of the sports-television landscape for three decades. I have met so many terrific people, and have had such great experiences covering some of sports’ biggest events.” He added, “During this year’s celebration I wanted to share all this with sports fans and young people getting their start in my profession.”
Bernstein, who was elected to the World Boxing Hall of Fame in 2009, is the only boxing broadcaster in history to serve in the roles of analyst, blow by blow announcer, host, and in ring interviewer. For Showtime Al has hosted several Mixed Martial Arts shows. While at ESPN Al did play by play on college basketball and covered Major League Baseball for Sportscenter. He hosted an all-sports daily radio show for four years on ESPN Radio in Las Vegas.
Al lives in Las Vegas with his wife Connie and son Wes, and often goes on trail rides and participates in team penning competitions on his quarter horse Paladin.
Hall of Fame Trainer Lou Duva to be subject of Feature Film!
For Immediate Release (January 21, 2010)— Producer John Edmonds Kozma (Nick Cassavetes’ Kentucky Rhapsody) has announced plans to turn the life of legendary boxing trainer and manager Lou Duva into a feature film.
“We’ve seen a lot of great films about fighters in the past,” says Kozma. “Whether about real-life legends like Jake LaMotta or Muhammed Ali, or fictional characters like Rocky Balboa, Hollywood has always focused on the guy in the ring. I thought it would be a great slant on the genre if we told the story through the eyes of someone who lived through it, and observed it, for over 80 years. Lou’s literally a walking history book…and has a million colorful tales to tell.”
Duva, now 87, began his boxing career as an amateur fighter in 1932 at the age of ten. Over the span of the next eight decades, Duva would go on to promote such groundbreaking bouts as Sugar Ray Leonard/Tommy Hearns I (at that time the largest grossing non-heavyweight fight in history, grossing more than $40 million) and handle the development of boxing giants such as Evander Holyfield, Lennox Lewis, Hector “Macho” Camacho, and Pernell Whittaker. He also ran with such show biz icons as Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis, Jr.
Also on board as producer is Richard O’Sullivan (The Teacher, One Night with You) and scripted by noted playwright and boxing historian Daniel Chernau.
Tentative release of the film is slated for early 2012.
SERRANO GETS READY FOR BIG 2010 STARTING ON ESPN
On January 29th, Star Boxing’s rising welterweight prospect, Raymond “Tito” Serrano (11-0, 6KO) will put his unbeaten record on the line when he takes on Ronnie “The Natural” Warrior Jr. (13-2-1, 4KO) at the Grand Sierra Resort and Casino in Reno, NV. Serrano-Warrior, scheduled for eight rounds in the welterweight division, will be the co-feature bout of the evening on ESPN’s “Friday Night Fights”. The card, billed as Reno Extreme Fights II, and promoted by Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing and Let’s Get It On Promotions, is headlined by Curtis “Showtime” Stevens (21-2, 15KO) taking on Reno’s favorite son, Jesse Brinkley (34-5, 22) in an Official IBF Eliminator for the number two ranking in the super middleweight division.
“This is a great opportunity for Raymond to once again showcase his growing skills on the national stage,” stated Joe DeGuardia, CEO of Star Boxing. “This will be his first scheduled eight rounder, and his first nationally televised co-feature, and he is still only 20-years-old. Ray has a very exciting crowd pleasing style, and he has been working very hard on improving and fine tuning the other aspects of his game. We expect him to have a very big year in 2010, but first he must get by Warrior on the 29th.”
Born and raised in the fighting city of Philadelphia, Serrano was a decorated amateur, compiling over 100 victories, including winning the international jr. Olympic championship in 2005, as well as being the jr. Olympic national silver medalist in the same year. In 2006 he won the Pennslyvania Golden Gloves.
At just 18-year-old of age Serrano turned pro in October of 2007 scoring a first round knockout victory. Serrano has steadily continued to improve each time out, including winning an impressive six round decision over once beaten Jay Krupp on ESPN in March of last year. The peformance caught the eye of esteemed trainer Freddie Roach who later invited Serrano serve as one of Manny Pacquiao’s lead sparring partner in preparation for his fight against Ricky Hatton.
Reno Extreme Fights II, is promoted by Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing and Let’s Get It On Promotions. ESPN’s “Friday Night Fights” will begin live coverage of the event at 10PM ET. The bout will take place at the Grand Theatre inside the Grand Sierra Resort and Casino. Doors open at 6PM with the first bout scheduled for 6:30PM. Tickets are priced at $100, $75, or $40 and are available at www.GrandSierraResort.com or by calling 1(800) 648-3568. Tickets for a King’s Row Booth for four are priced at $1000. Included in your V.I.P. ringside booth are light appetizers and one bottle of premium alcohol.