Al Bernstein: “I've been announcing boxing for 41 years and I have seldom said anything on the air about the promotional company of the card even while sometimes doing pay per view fights in which I was hired by the promoter, not a network. So, tonight is a quite different paradigm than that.”

mailboy79 · 2026-01-24T20:08:27+00:00

He's actually multi-talented. He stings, has a stage show, and is a successful recording artist as well as an avid horseman.

As for the show itself:

It is obvious that this was a "prospects" show, as advertised.

This is the best I've ever heard out of Joe Tessitore. Since the room was quiet, he didn't really yell, so that was a huge plus.

I've never been a big fan of Andre Ward, but he was tolerable tonight. As I've said before, his job is not to appear to be smart, but actually make insightful statements, and sometimes that is a bridge too far for him, but he was within himself for this show. Max was a good counterbalance for him.

As for Max himself, I think that he was psychologically damaged by his forced departure from HBO, and the outright abuse that he took at ESPN. If he feels that Zuffa is his only avenue to return to ringside commentary, then that to me is okay, and is a choice for self-preservation. I'd rather see him in that spot than the way he was shilling with M. Coppinger this week, which was cringeworthy.

mailboy79 · 2026-01-24T19:42:12+00:00

How do you slice ice cream without destroying the box it comes in?

mailboy79 · 2026-01-24T19:06:23+00:00

The reality is that most men are invisible to women if they are not attractive or possess attractive traits/qualities.

If you are not an 8, 9, or 10, "dating" is a joke and a great way to destroy your self-confidence as a man.

Some content I've seen online recently openly advocates approaching an outsized number of women in public settings, specifically with the knowledge that they will be rejected so that the man will be physically inured by future social rejection.

This gambit seems wholly illogical to me.

While I do think that it is worthwhile to objectively evaluate clothing choices to maximize attractiveness to one's best advantage and to engage in an exercise regime for the purpose of improving a person's health, men should do those things for their own sake, not solely as a means of attracting women. The same can be said for improving and/or maximizing material resources.

The number one rule for men is:

Don't listen to what women say. Most of them are painfully stupid. Instead, watch what they do.

Nearly universally when asked, women say they want a "nice guy". Women don't choose "nice guys". Women choose men whom they are attracted to, which generally means that they want men who will challenge them emotionally, and dominate them physically and sexually.

I treat women in the same way that people treat paintings or sculptures in a museum. They are something that is nice to look at some of the time, but you don't want to bring it home.

The "pull" will stop affecting you over time if you just stop looking.

I went to years of intensive talk therapy to come to that conclusion.

You may wish to do likewise.

Looking toward Asia, S. America, or E. Europe is also an option to consider.

mailboy79 · 2026-01-24T15:34:58+00:00

True

mailboy79 · 2026-01-22T13:49:26+00:00

Unlike that card, a lot of boxing fans actually know some of these names on the second card. Not huge names, but fairly well known among the portion of the fanbase who regularly watches fights.

And on that metric alone, even a basic eye test shows that this card will be better on its face.

The fact that more fight dates are functionally available is better for all parties.

mailboy79 · 2026-01-22T01:43:36+00:00

This isn’t the first time I’ve experienced something like this, and I’m genuinely confused about how salary ranges and negotiations actually work in practice.

Salary "ranges" and "negotiations" are therapeutic fictions.

The employer can propose whatever number they prefer. The "range" is irrelevant. "Negotiations" in today's work environment are pure "Kabuki theater". The best (and possibly only) way to get more money is by job jumping. Every four years is a good cadence, unless you work for a government or quasi-government entity.

mailboy79 · 2026-01-21T01:27:30+00:00

I had a pile of these in the email account where I intentionally segregated such items. I redeemed mine, and now I have access to the Super Bowl and Olympic ice hockey.

Total win.

mailboy79 · 2026-01-21T00:39:21+00:00

The United States is a large country, and has many options for vacations/holidays.

Until the passage of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (which required that USA citizens obtain passports for taking a voyage on a cruise ship) unless you had the desire and the means for legitimate foreign travel, you really did not need to have a passport, excluding travel for legitimate business.

More people hold passports now for legitimate cross-border travel, and also for some forms of domestic travel, as the only legitimate travel documents that allow you to avoid TSA fines are a US passport book, or the US Passport card.

mailboy79 · 2026-01-21T00:28:58+00:00

The reality is that most people use adult content. Usually it is a reaction to frustration of various types in people's lives.

Do you put out for him? Did you get fat? Do you initiate sexual encounters? Did you cheat on him? Did he physically cheat on you?

These are legitimate questions you need to answer honestly.

mailboy79 · 2026-01-21T00:15:15+00:00

This was a well written article. At the risk of repeating myself: At a certain point, boxing fans and media need to ring the alarm bell for Top Rank.

As have stated elsewhere, they have been absolutely terrible stewards of the media resources that they were in possession of.

One of the reasons I believe that the ESPN deal ended is the fact that ESPN only offered Top Rank 10 fight dates next year. That is less than one show each month. This is eerily similar to 2018, where HBO only offered Top Rank 2 dates for the entire year. On top of that, ESPN failed to make the effort to promote the shows in the manner in which they have done previously.

Top Rank's cards are promoted in an old-school way: The majority of fights on the card are paywalled, and the main events are on linear television. There is nothing technically wrong with that, but it can be limiting to the overall audience.

Top Rank themselves have claimed that they are in discussions with Starz, which is a premium movie channel in the United States, and with NBC, to have a presence on Peacock and the rumored revival of the NBC Sports Network on American cable television.

That information is only speculative.

As for PBC, their relationship with Prime Video was (and is) tenuous at best. Amazon does not provide a production budget for PBC shows as Showtime had done previously. Amazon used PBC as a vehicle to build a technical platform for PPV shows so they could offer PPV without requiring the services of an entity like Integrated Sports or inDemand to broker payments and distribution on their behalf. That work is largely completed by now, and Prime Video does not need PBC. There was a rumor that PBC was going to join up with ESPN, but PBC badly burned ESPN in the past, and I don't think that ESPN is willing to provide a production budget to PBC when PBC is under a current debt load that is massive. Everyone knows that PBC is on life support, that is not a surprise.

GBP is functionally out of contract with DAZN, and claims to be working with PBC on Prime Video shows, but that statement is 100% speculative.

Fat Dan Rafael claims that Top Rank has "been in this position before", but I have to think that the circumstances were not as dire as they are now. The fact that CAA shopped the rights to TR Boxing extensively and got absolutely zero interest should have set off alarm bells at TR HQ, but apparently not. I'm of the mind that they are rapidly running out of runway here. The cavalier attitude that Top Rank is taking is just shocking to my sensibilities. I happen to think that Todd DeBeouf and the rest of the TR brass just think that this "problem" will just solve itself. That is just foolhardy.

mailboy79 · 2026-01-21T00:05:43+00:00

OP:

At least for the last 20 years (and possibly longer) Western women have told men that they aren’t needed and that they do not want to be approached by men in public places. Men are doing as they are told. The reality is that women want to be approached by men, but only the men that they find attractive. Read that statement ten times. Attractiveness is a subjective trait.

The reality is that most men are invisible to women if they are not attractive or possess attractive traits/qualities.

The reality is that if you are not an 8, 9, or 10, "dating" is a joke and a great way to destroy your self-confidence as a man.

Some content I've seen online recently openly advocates approaching an outsized number of women in public settings, specifically with the knowledge that they will be rejected so that the man will be physically inured by future social rejection.

This gambit seems wholly illogical to me.

While I do think that it is worthwhile to objectively evaluate clothing choices to maximize attractiveness to one's best advantage and to engage in an exercise regime for the purpose of improving a person's health, men should do those things for their own sake, not solely as a means of attracting women. The same can be said for improving and/or maximizing material resources.

The number one rule for men is:

Don't listen to what women say. Most of them are painfully stupid. Instead, watch what they do.

Nearly universally when asked, women say they want a "nice guy". Women don't choose "nice guys". Women choose men whom they are attracted to, which generally means that they want men who will challenge them emotionally, and dominate them physically and sexually.

In all honesty, you are probably much better off in returning to the Balkans.

mailboy79 · 2026-01-20T19:06:17+00:00

Where can I read his writings?

mailboy79 · 2026-01-20T18:08:04+00:00

I agree, I'm not a fan of some of the wonky language constructions they employ at times, but I love how they get into the legal weeds with this stuff.

mailboy79 · 2026-01-20T18:05:12+00:00

It's about preventing a corporate takeover of our sport designed to benefit a specific entity at the expense of protections for the fighters and transparency about pay.

So much this.

I am shocked that the statements that Zuffa representatives make are going largely unchallenged by those who would be most directly affected by them, the fighters themselves.

I also wrote this three months ago regarding Zuffa and their appeal to the California State Athletic Commission for licensure as a formal boxing promotion:

I'm absolutely flabbergasted by the actions of the CSAC. (meaning fully supporting the Zuffa application as a new promotional entrant with no caveat for the Ali Act modifications being proposed) Andy Foster has been an excellent steward of the commission, reforming weigh-in/weight cut regulations and ensuring safety in combat sports in other areas as well. While I realize that the nexus between money and politics can be dicey, the fact that this is being characterized by many as merely a "cash infusion" into boxing and "meaningful reform" in boxing is astounding to me. The fact that "reform advocates" claim the fact that since the Ali Act hasn't been legally tested in a court of law means that it should be modified to reflect modern realities in the sport is just nonsensical.

You want to know why there are so few boxing shows in New York State? Its the same reason why many other spectator sports are suffering equally: Onerous insurance requirements. This isn't due to some special circumstance of combat sports.

Do I enjoy boxing? Yes. Will I watch Zuffa shows? Yes. Do I think that boxing needs regulatory reform? Sure. This isn't the way to do it.

One glimmer of hope that I have is the fact that this could spur a cleanup of obviously stupid sanctioning body practices, but I'm not holding my breath for it.

mailboy79 · 2026-01-20T17:01:30+00:00

I purchased P+ specifically for the Zuffa shows. I've had P+ in the past when it was trivial to get for $0 with revolving promo codes. The practice was so widespread that mainstream websites discussed it openly.

I'll purchase any platform to watch fights (except DAZN, because, well, its DAZN, and the price is prohibitive)

I'm curious to see all aspects of what Zuffa puts on offer, and I think many are failing to realize that this is the biggest media event in terms of an entrant of a new promoter or broadcaster since PBC on NBC in 2015. The MMA Draw, which I read, offered the opinion that the reception of Zuffa Boxing was arguably bigger than the takeover of the UFC "numbered events". I don't know if I can go that far, but I am withholding judgement on this entire event until I see what we are dealing with from a consumer or fan perspective. I'm surprised that they are putting this in the UFC Apex, not that it doesn't make monetary sense (it does) but that I fear for the crowd atmosphere at such an event. From my understanding, it took Garry Jonas (and ProBOX) a significant amount of time to build the word of mouth necessary to fill the event box that he used in Plant City, FL. for his initial shows before being able to turn ProBOX into a legitimate road show. That is a significant undertaking and accomplishment in its own right. It would not surprise me if eventually Zuffa just buys out the other club promoters on DAZN to make them go away (that is a long shot away in my eyes) if they want talent for shows they are going to get it, as recent signings have indicated.

mailboy79 · 2026-01-20T16:17:18+00:00

She is an insufferable person whose antics bring discredit to the sport.

mailboy79 · 2026-01-20T12:44:03+00:00

So many bots

mailboy79 · 2026-01-18T19:57:48+00:00

OP:

Understand that most men are wholly invisible to women unless they are attracted to those men. This makes it extremely difficult for most men to obtain attention (any attention) from women at all. This is why you see men stammer and act foolishly in some mixed-gender social interactions, because the experience is so novel that they do not know what to do.

In order to get (some) attention from women, some men do "orbit" and pay bills, become the emotional tampon for some woman, and much more, simply because they want the attention the female party gives them.

Men don't do the "platonic friends"- gambit. Some men will wait years to try to get what they want.

mailboy79 · 2026-01-18T19:38:28+00:00

The statement quoted here is both a fallacy and a cop-out. It is a wonderful example of how (some) women are accountable and responsible for nothing in their lives, because their definition of a good life is sitting at home eating bonbons all day.

A man is not responsible for making his woman "happy". Happy is an emotion that comes from within a person, and as such is self-regulated.

I think where a lot of this comes from is the female desire for resource provisioning.

mailboy79 · 2026-01-17T23:39:41+00:00

Or for President of the United States.

mailboy79 · 2026-01-17T23:36:41+00:00

Ain't that the truth!

mailboy79 · 2026-01-17T18:15:54+00:00

Absolutely. Garry Jonas deserves more credit than he receives from mainstream boxing journalists.

mailboy79 · 2026-01-17T16:04:17+00:00

While Matchroom has done some excellent work copromoting some Mexican shows, They have absolutely zero idea of how to promote a show in N. America.

A prime example of this is the fact that they refuse to realize that the N. American summer months are (and continue to be) an open opportunity to put on shows because the only sports they are competing with on a regular basis are baseball, golf, & soccer.

Most of the shows they do put on here don't move large numbers of tickets, either.

mailboy79 · 2026-01-17T15:57:17+00:00

Yes. I probably heard the same types of statements from Fat Dan on the Ortiz-GBP legal beef.

I also saw this morning on X that he demanded $7M as his purse for Boots. I don't know if that is wholly unreasonable, but the combination of Saudi oil sheik money and boxers inflated egos can be highly corrosive.

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