TMCP Ep 24: Al Bernstein Talks Canelo vs Crawford

Jamieson and Luis are joined by the absolute legend Al Bernstein for the latest episode. The duo discussed the #CaneloVSCrawford MEGAFIGHT, the state of boxing and so much more with the member of the International, Nevada and Connecticut Boxing Halls of Fame.

Catch their exclusive interview, Al's incredible insight and analysis and eventual predictions from each of them! You can also catch him Thursday night (9/11/25) performing with his band at the Tuscany Casino with special guest Layla McCarter!

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
In this corner, standing at six foot five, weight class unknowns,
but hailing from the city of Sands.

Speaker 2 (00:06):
Put your hands together for Jamison Welch.

Speaker 1 (00:08):
And in this corner, standing at five foot ten, weighing
in at town and coming to us from his super
secret bunker with no AC in Tucson, Arizona.

Speaker 2 (00:18):
Put your hands together for Luis Montemao.

Speaker 3 (00:22):
Thank you.

Speaker 4 (00:23):
Welcome back to an audition of the Mixed Company Podcast.
Of course, my name is Jamison and I'm joined by Luis.
As always, however, today got special guests. Luise, who do we.

Speaker 5 (00:31):
Have today, Jamison? I am so excited. We have not
just a sportscaster, but a legend, a man who has
been the voice of professional boxing for decades, an inductee
into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. Y'all, it is
an honor to welcome to the ring. Al Bernstein, mister Burnstein,
thank you so much for being here.

Speaker 2 (00:50):
Good to be with you, guys. I want you just
do that when I forget to close the garage door
and I want to call my wife and tell her
I'm a legend.

Speaker 5 (00:58):
Oh, absolutely believe I won't be in as much trouble.
We'll record this, we'll send you a video of me saying.

Speaker 2 (01:04):
Here you go, I like that. I guess just play
it for man.

Speaker 5 (01:08):
We have a ton of questions for you, mister Bernstein.
We really can't start with anything though, other than the
upcoming fight between Canelo Alvarez and Bud Crawford. You know,
we're super excited. It is not without controversies, and people
think it's kind of silly that these two guys are
fighting each other when there are plenty of opponents in
their respective weight classes. Giving your experience, how do you
see this fight? Historic matchup for the ages, or maybe

(01:29):
something we'll forget about it in a year or two. Like,
let's put this in the context for us.

Speaker 2 (01:34):
Well, it's not a match that happened organically, right, you
know they nobody was thinking of this match because, as
you mentioned, there are two weight divisions separated at least
two when in his normal way, Crawford is one forty seven.
He recently moved up to one fifty four, so Canella
offer us is up at one sixty eight. So it

(01:55):
wasn't a match people were thinking about once they made it.
Because because these are two huge names in the sport,
it kind of took on a life of its own.
How much of a life, as you alluded to, will
depend greatly on what happens moving forward the rest of
this week. Will the buzz for it continue? It is

(02:18):
available to a lot of people because it's on Netflix,
and it'll probably have a monstrous TV audience for sure,
And will the fight be interesting? You know, we never
know that about a boxing match. Even when we see
a matchup that we think is fantastic, Sometimes it is,
sometimes it isn't. And sometimes we see matchups that we're

(02:40):
not sure about and they turn out to be great.
So I think it's a significant fight for sure, because
we have these two, two of the top fighters of
this era in the in the ring together and an
unlikely pairing one we didn't expect. Sometimes that's intriguing.

Speaker 5 (02:59):
Well, I really appreciate you mentioning the fact that it's
on Netflix and has a lot of eyeballs that are
going to be on the fight. You know, how do
you feel about the fact that no boxing is on
linear TV today? Top Rank is not on ESPN. They're
announcing fights on Instagram and commentaris are asking where can
I watch this? How can I watch this fight? What
does that mean for the state of boxing today.

Speaker 2 (03:20):
Well, boxing's issue right now, at least in America more
so even than in other countries, is platforming, because I mean,
there hasn't been boxing on over the air networks traditional
over the air networks for a long time. But ESPN
has had boxing for the most part since its inception,

(03:45):
and of course we now think of that as over
the air programming, don't we, even though it's a cable channel.
And of course I worked for Showtime for many years
in HBO had it, but those were paid channels that
were behind the pay barriers. So boxing doesn't have that
outlet right now. The Netflix and Amazon Prime, which kind

(04:08):
of shows some fights, not too many with PBC to
live free to their subscribers is kind of what stands
in for network TV, except that we don't see it
very often on those two outlets because now the way

(04:28):
streaming is millions and millions and millions of people have
access to Netflix and or Amazon Prime, the major streamers.
So whether Netflix get continues to get involved in boxing
on a regular basis is another question, But there's no
question in America especially boxing has a platform issue, and

(04:51):
part of the issue that it's going to have is
people not, as you point out, people not knowing quite
where to see the different product. Zone streaming pay service
has become a major player. Uh, but again that's a
pay service.

Speaker 5 (05:11):
Yeah. Do you think we're gonna have trouble getting new
fans into boxing when everything is streaming and you have
to download different apps? Or maybe it's better for the
new generation because they're more savvy with that kind of thing.
I miss the fact that we're able to catch Saturday
night fights on regular TV no matter where you are.
To be honest with you, what are you.

Speaker 2 (05:29):
Well, it's a very good question, and you you you
phrased it in a way that is generational and interesting.
We now they're you know, we now know based on
no matter what age you are, you're used to streaming content,
right most everybody is. It's the way of things. And

(05:51):
so somebody that's my age, you're older. There are people
who are to me shocking, I know, but there are
some you know, they they're hip to it. You know,
they know it. They might not be as savvy as
somebody who's twenty five, but they know what it is
and how we get that programming. So someplace like the

(06:12):
Zone is you know, accessible and understandable. The problem is
it's again it's a pay channel, and I do I've
been doing boxing in the last four or five months.
I've been doing some boxing for where promoters are bringing
in and they're primarily on YouTube or they're on other

(06:34):
streaming services. And it is interesting because that's what now
stands in for regional sports networks or things like that,
right that could run those middle level events. And so
we are we're seeing a revolution in technology and boxing,

(06:56):
not because it chose to be, but because it has
to be. Is on the cutting edge of that for
good or bad.

Speaker 5 (07:05):
That's fair. I don't want to monopolize the conversation, Jamison,
please jump on in.

Speaker 4 (07:10):
Yes, as a local here in Vegas, this fight weekend
doesn't have the same buzz as other big fight weekend,
especially will fight. We even went Floyd in the past
with you know, Tyson fights other great fighters. Do you
think there's something different about this fight because it doesn't
have I mean, we're talking about it, but doesn't feel
like it's a huge fight weekend.

Speaker 2 (07:30):
Well it's hard to tell, right, I Mean here we
are with you know, early in the week and there's
going to be fifty at least fifty thousand people at
the Allegiant Stadium, and everywhere you look there's some kind
of advertisement or whatever relating to the fight. I think

(07:52):
our definition of buzz might have to change because in
this city everything is more diffused than it used to be.
I mean, I'll give you an example. So nineteen eighty seven,
Maren Hagler and Sugar Eye Leonard at Caesar's Palace. Right now,

(08:13):
as it happens, I'm doing a music show before this fight.
I did a music show before that fight, first one
I ever did. I could there Every human on the
planet that I knew of was in that space and
was invested at Caesar's Palace. I could feel the electricity. Right, Well,

(08:36):
we don't exactly. It's different now. It's diffused. Our buzz
is digital, Our buzz is in a different way. So
it's harder for us to contextualize. You're here in Vegas, right, yep, Yeah,
it's hard. It's hard to contextualize what feels like a
big event and what doesn't because everything in our lives

(09:00):
is more compartmentalized, isn't it, and Vegas is more compartmentalized. Yes,
events can be big in the city, but you know,
still it feels like this is in this slot, that's
in that slot, and that's in that slot.

Speaker 5 (09:17):
Well, and you know, I definitely want to talk about
your music events as well, because I'm very interested in
hearing about that. But it's something that got me thinking
about how you say that buzz has to change. You know,
Jameson and I we critique the sport a lot because
we love it. I think boxing is the greatest sport
in the world, and I always wanted to remain as such.
I personally feel there's a bit of a too much
weight put on nostalgia with you know, Floyd Mayweather coming back,

(09:40):
Tyson coming back, Pacchio coming back. You know, it doesn't
feel as fresh. It feels like we need the old
guard to come save the sport. Is that something that
has happened over there over your career or is something
recent where it's a sporting decline that needs, you know,
familiar faces you what's your take on that?

Speaker 2 (09:58):
Well, I don't know. I've always viewed the the novelty
events as one offs. I don't think they're designed to
save the sport. They're designed for people who make money, period,
That's what they're designed for. Uh, And they won't be
a sport saving because they're not. But the offshoot of

(10:22):
that is people think they are, and people think, oh,
this to the casual fan especially, they think, oh, that's
the sport, right logan, you know, Jake Paul and and
Floyd I forgot who he's fighting already, Floyd Maywell, right,
yeah or no, Husevont Davis, Vont Davis right, Like that's oh,

(10:46):
and that's weird because that does involve a current fighter,
so that one crosses the line into the actual boxing
world because that fight takes Gravonte Davis out of play
for an actual boxer. Most of them, like the Mayweather
you know fight and the rest of it, those are

(11:07):
a one offs in my opinion. But to the casual person,
that looks like it's what boxing is trying to become.
And and people cannot resist putting. And we live in
a society now where if you can market something, you
can do it, and if you market it well enough,
it doesn't matter if it has actual value as a content,

(11:31):
it can still make you money.

Speaker 5 (11:35):
Is that a good thing?

Speaker 3 (11:36):
Though?

Speaker 5 (11:37):
I Mean we've kind of gone back and.

Speaker 2 (11:38):
Forth, really, but that's what our society is about. I mean,
you can decide whether you want it. But boxing is
a sport that is susceptible to that because it's a
it's a you know, there's no structure to it. You
can't The Buffalo Bills are not going to go off
and as rogue and play the Ohio State Buckeyes because

(12:02):
they think it's marketable. Right, football the sport that way, right,
But in boxing is you can right? You can You
could decide that, oh, this person, it might be interesting
to see figure out how we can get them in
or ink together, no matter how absurd it may seem.
If it's marketable, you do it. And no, it isn't
necessarily positive.

Speaker 4 (12:23):
Now let me ask, obviously this is a big fight
weekend for the non traditional boxing fans, if there's a
couple of younger fighters or a lesser known fighter that
you would recommend to them to.

Speaker 3 (12:36):
Follow along as you know the days go on. Who
those be? And why?

Speaker 2 (12:42):
Well, there's all kinds of great fighters, you know in
the sport. I mean, the every weight class has I
think has some really really good talent. One hundred and
forty pound division is a perfect example. It has twenty
fighters in the first in the top tier of it

(13:04):
that could all maybe beat each other. I mean, we're
gonna have super al Mattias taking on Dalton Smith, who's
a young British fighter. That's a perfect example of a
match that's going to be, you know, fantastic. Every weight
class has a number of fighters that you know, could
pique people's interests, but they have to see them right

(13:26):
and they have to be exposed to them, you know,
in order to kind of get into enjoying them. I mean,
we know Devin Haney is fighting Brian Norman for instance,
coming up. Brian Norman is a welterweight that maybe not
every casuals fan knows, but he's a welterweight champion and
he this is his breakout time. Now will he beat

(13:49):
Devin Haney, who is, you know, already an established star
in the sport of box And we're gonna find out.
But for some casuals boxing fan, it says, oh, I
want to go tune into something with a high level
skill of boxing and maybe excitement is present. That's a
perfect match for them.

Speaker 3 (14:07):
Go ahead lose.

Speaker 2 (14:09):
Oh and by the way, many of those matches are
found on the women's side. I mean, let me throw
that in as well, you know, there are a number
of really good fights that people can can find on
the women's side of the ledger because they are women
have no compunction about fighting each other, while men we
see titles languish and not everybody challenging. Everybody. In the

(14:32):
women's sport, they do all the time.

Speaker 5 (14:35):
We're a big supporter of women's boxing here. We've talked
about it many times and we follow it as well. Yeah,
it's wonderful. So with the state of the sport in
the way is now, you know, you're knowing it as
well as you do if you were a boxing commissioner,
you were in charge the head of anything either in
terms of the number of fights that can make media.
What kind of changes would you make to improve the

(14:56):
sport personally?

Speaker 2 (14:57):
Well, it's very hard because there's not one unbrell in
the sport. But I mean in theory, if you could,
I mean, number one, we'd like to see fewer weight classes.
You'd like to see one champion in every weight class,
but those things are very hard to create. You'd like
to see conformity in ring size and in all rules,

(15:22):
I mean state rules. I mean you can go to
one state in the United States and there's a three
knockdown rule in somewhere else where, it's not, you know, so,
I mean, and that's true around the world as well.
So those are the kind of things you'd like to
have for the sport. But I think that kind of

(15:43):
rogue thing is endemic in the sport and has always been.
It's just it's a very boxing I always joke that
boxing is lazy, a fair capitalism run them up because
there is no there are no overarching constraints on it
for the most part, and that's in some ways that's

(16:06):
interesting and good, I guess, but again, you know, I mean,
I always laugh when people say, you know, there's too
much I don't know, be political, but there's too much,
too much control of government, you know, federal government, et cetera.
More states rights. Yeah, great, except every one of those
states is going to pass different laws that are gonna

(16:27):
you know, so show me, show me no federal government,
show me no overarching rules, and then see what happens.
Boxing is what happens, then, right, that's fair.

Speaker 5 (16:39):
I mean, we talked about the positivity or not of
things like people making strange fights for a buck, and
but you said it's something that only boxing does and
it kind of shows that, for better or worse, there's
no other sport like it, and that is something to
do admire in it of itself.

Speaker 2 (16:53):
And the other thing is if fighters coming back and everything.
I always joke Steve Carlton would have pitched he was
forty nine years old if somebody would have let them, right.
I mean, it's different to boxing because you can get
hurt more easily. But you know, athletes want to keep
performing and if they're given an opportunity and they pass
the physical, they're going to do it unfortunately, and it's

(17:13):
kind of up to cooler heads to prevail.

Speaker 5 (17:17):
Well, let's such tracks because you know, apart from you
being a legend as a sportscaster, you're also you know,
an author, and you're a recording artist. You know you
mentioned you have a music event this Thursday the eleventh.
Please tell us what is this about, and tell us
a little bit about the history of these events and
your history with music.

Speaker 2 (17:36):
Well, I you know, the first I alluded to it
before the first music show I ever did was in Vegas. Anyway,
I was involved music before then, but it was in
nineteen eighty seven when Marvin Hackler fought Sugar Ray Leonard.
I was out to dinner with the president of Caesars
Palas and a couple of people. Just before that, Barry

(17:58):
McGuigan had fought at Caesars and his dad was a
famous pub singer in Ireland, and he did several nights
in the Olympic Lounge at Caesar's Palace leading up to
the mcwigan fight, and it was a big success and
everybody loved it. And the president of caesar said, don't

(18:18):
you sing, because I used to sit in with people
in Vegas. I wasn't living here yet, and I said, yeah,
I do music. He said, oh, great, You're gonna do
three nights leading up to the Hagler Leonard fight. That
was like four months from then, And I said, okay.
I didn't have a band, I didn't have an act,

(18:39):
I had nothing. So I spent four months wood shedding
with people that I knew in the entertainment industry, got together,
did three nights leading up to the Hagler Leonard fight.
It went very well and that led me to do
shows before big fights in Vegas. Did a number of
engagements at Caesar's and then through the years, every time

(19:00):
a big most times when a big fight comes here,
I'll do some form of stage show. Either it'll be
my true music show or it'll be a boxing party
show or sports party show where we have video and
trivia and whatever. Well, in the last six or seven years,
I've been doing the music show at the Tuscany Sweets

(19:20):
and Casino here in Las Vegas, and we do it
before major fights. And I'm gonna be doing a show
this Thursday, September eleventh at the Tuscany and the Piazza Lounge.
She's a really nice music venue. They have great music
there all the time and it's a very fun, comfortable
music venue that I love playing and I like it

(19:43):
so much. I went from the Mandelay Bay venue that
I used to do to the Tuscany and it's just
so much fun. So I'm gonna be doing a show
at eight o'clock and nine thirty. There's no cover charts,
so people can just come and enjoy. We're gonna have
music and of all different I'm gonna have a guest singer,
Joe Denanzio, is a fine singer here in Las Vegas,

(20:05):
to join me in providing music. And we're gonna do
boxing trivia, which folks can win prizes, and we're gonna
be kind of honoring a fighter at this I kind
of added a new element to it as my special
boxing guest is Leila McCarter, who is an iconic woman's

(20:26):
boxing champion that I'm sure you guys know about, who
is a five weight division titleist who astonishingly, at the
age forty six, he is still boxing, has not lost
a fight since two thousand and seven, if you can
imagine that, and was rated by Ring Magazine and as

(20:48):
the tenth best women boxer of all time. We're gonna
have Leila there as a special guest. Fans can meet
her and take photos with her, and she's gonna come
up and talk in front of the crowd, and so
we're gonna kind of I'm gonna spend that moment at
the show kind of honoring her for what she does,
and it'll be it should be a fun evening.

Speaker 5 (21:09):
That sounds like a lot of fun. That's that's thank
you for informing the public of that. I've got one
last thing, Jameson, do you want to jump in with
anything before.

Speaker 4 (21:16):
Yes, So you've covered all the mega fights over the years.
What are the top three off you recollection? That in
terms of like height, the fight, the build up everything.
Obviously this is considered one as well, but in the
past we like the top three mega fights going into
that you could think.

Speaker 2 (21:33):
Of in terms of overall excitement. Hagler Hearns was one,
and I broadcast that fight and it lived up to
all all the promotion. H Leonard Hagler Leonard was astonishingly big.
Mayweather Pakiau was even though the fight would didn't end

(21:56):
up being thrilling. That was a major event. Canelo Mayweather
was quite the event. Uh, and I can give you
more than three here, so I'm cheating. I guess you're good.
But and I'll tell you another one was Oscar de
la Joya and Felix Trinita. That was quite that event
took Las Vegas by storm, and uh was really quite

(22:19):
the quite the remarkable event. So I think those are
some of the ones that I remember being so big
that they you know, they just kind of enveloped this,
you know, Las Vegas and created a and and in
nationally and internationally created a buzz that was pretty remarkable.

(22:41):
I I was privileged to do. I've actually been very lucky.
I've done the top I guess the top two or
three pay per view. You know, Paquio Mayweather and Pacquiao
or Mayweather Canelo Alvarez. I did the McGregor. This is

(23:02):
another one, believe it or not. The McGregor Mayweather fight
was a monstrous promotion. I mean I remember working on
that and it was it took a life. Now, that
was a novelty event, though Mayweather was still a part
of the sport. That took a life, It took on
a life of its own. It grew exponentially as it

(23:26):
got closer to that match.

Speaker 5 (23:29):
Definitely, well last one. We can't thank you enough for
being here. But do you have an official prediction for
Canelo Alvarez versus Bud Crawford. Do you think you can
make that?

Speaker 2 (23:41):
You know, I actually don't, And the reason I don't
is because, look, Canelo is the favorite in the fight,
although I don't think a huge favorite these days, as
the fighter's gotten closer to the odds have shifted to
be much closer. It's a lot for but Crawford to
bite off moving that far up and wait, obviously he's

(24:05):
only had one fight at one point fifty four, even though,
which is two way classes down from where Canelo Alvarez is,
and so he's giving that away. But he's facing a
thirty five year old Canelo Alvarez, who, even though he's
younger than Crawford, has more tread on his tires. He's
you know, fought for twenty years. He's had many more

(24:26):
fights and probably been involved in more a few more battles.
So there are mitigating factors here. And because there are
so many mitigating factors, I'm really not sure who wins it.
I would lean toward Canelo to win the fight. I mean,
if somebody put a gun to my head and said

(24:47):
you have to make a prediction, I guess it would
be Canelo. But it wouldn't be with a great deal
of certainty. It would be one that I would be
making purely because boxing to a corner. So I think
it's possible for Bud Crawford to win this fight. It's

(25:07):
it's a big ask, but I think it's possible. Certainly,
he's not gonna win by knockout. I think we're pretty
sure that. And the problem is when you go to
a decision with Canelo Alvarez, oftentimes you don't farewell. Let's
be honest. He tends to win decisions, and even in
the fights he loses, there are often scorecards like the

(25:27):
draw card against Mayweather and a couple of the cards
against Bofol that are befuggling that you look at and say, well,
they give him a lot more credit than they should have.
So so there's a couple of things working against Crawford here.
One Canelo has an amazing chin and so knocking out stuff.

(25:48):
And number two, because Canalo Aarez does well, tends to
do well in the scorecards. That's a little tricky form
as well. But that doesn't mean Crawford can't win this fight.
He can.

Speaker 5 (26:00):
James himself has made the point about Canelo losing on
the cards in Vegas is very very difficult. It's very unlikely.

Speaker 2 (26:06):
So it doesn't happen, doesn't happen often, No, but I
mean he has it has happened, but it's not or
anywhere for that matter. You know, he's one of those
iconic figures that tends to get the benefit of doubt.
It seems sure.

Speaker 5 (26:23):
Well, we cannot thank you enough, mister Bernstein. It was
wonderful to have you here. Do you have any social
media handles where people can keep up with what you're doing.

Speaker 2 (26:32):
I'm on Instagram, and I'm on X or Twitter whatever
it's called these days, and also TikTok so any of
those places, they can just look me up. And I'm
pretty active as active as I can be on those.

Speaker 5 (26:48):
Great, we're not even on TikTok, so, I guess we
got to catch up with you.

Speaker 2 (26:51):
So yeah, I don't know. I got put on there,
and I'm like, okay, you know, so I'm doing my
best to navigate it. So some of them are hard
to navigate so well for me anyway, But I do
my best to navigate it and provide some content for people,
and uh and so it's it's a great way to,
you know, to reach out to people. And back in

(27:14):
the day, right, we never knew what people were thinking. Right,
You never knew exactly what boxing fans were thinking. Sometimes
it was better, occasionally not happy with what we do
in here. Uh so, but but nonetheless, you you get
a feeling, you get your fingers on the pulse of
what is going on out there, which was hard to

(27:37):
do before.

Speaker 5 (27:39):
I personally think we know too much about each other
these days, but hey, you know.

Speaker 2 (27:42):
That we probably do, and we probably we probably shared
to make us we don't need to share, but not
to mention the negativity, which sometimes is mind boggling. But
but you know, the funny thing about all that, in
my opinion, is you can have some amazing uh communications

(28:06):
on it, and then you can have the worst communications
on it. So it's it's fascinating to me and it's
kind of the good with the bad.

Speaker 5 (28:19):
Well, very insightful and again in order to have you here, Sarah,
thank you so much for gracing our humble podcast and
hopefully can have you back to discuss the further fights.

Speaker 2 (28:28):
Yeah, I will. Hey, Jamison, you're invited to come out
to the show on Thursday if you want.

Speaker 3 (28:32):
To appreciate you.

Speaker 5 (28:35):
All right, have a good name missing. Wow, what an
interview with the legend Al Bernstein. What did you How'd
you feel about that, Jamison?

Speaker 4 (28:44):
I was dope man like, answered the questions very well,
wealth of knowledge, a lot of experience.

Speaker 3 (28:49):
It was really cool. It was really good.

Speaker 2 (28:51):
Uh.

Speaker 4 (28:51):
He he makes you want to feel excited for boxing,
and he's a great representation and ambassador of the sport.
And that's all you ask for because boxing sometimes has
a bad name. So having someone that's experienced and that
is knowledgeable and that's not arrogant when they're describing is
really cool.

Speaker 5 (29:06):
Yeah, I've said it many times. It's the greatest sport
in the world, my favorite sport. I love it more
than most things. But sometimes things happen. You know, we're
not going to get into this, but you sent me,
you said to the group Chaede promo for Mayweather versus Tyson,
and I was like, man, do I hate boxing? Do
I actually hate the sport? It's so trashed.

Speaker 4 (29:24):
Sometimes it's the greed, man, the greed is Unfortunately, that's
what it is.

Speaker 3 (29:30):
Man. Why Unfortunately it is what it is.

Speaker 5 (29:33):
Sure, But like you said, for someone to come on
here and just talk about it the way talk about
the sport the way he does. Who's been in it
for almost as long as we've been alive, Like, let's
be real, it's credible, and yeah, it just it. I
still it's gonna make me continue loving the sport no
matter when it breaks my heart.

Speaker 6 (29:49):
I will.

Speaker 5 (29:49):
I will text it in the middle of the night,
even though it's done me wrong so many times, and
be like, who's fighting next. Let's talk a little bit
more about the mega fight, So Jamison, let's do It's
a couple of bits of final analysis here on Canelo
Elveris versus Bud Crawford. Let's start with this, what do
you expect to see from each fighter this weekend?

Speaker 4 (30:10):
Oh man, that's a good question. Canal is gonna be Canelo.
You're gonna have the same plant attack. I don't see
a whole lot different out here. You're gonna see a
guy that sharp. You're gonna see a guy that's gonna
use his skill set. He's gonna you know, he's gonna
be on the defense of a lot, but also he's
one of the rare fighters that can attack but also

(30:32):
defend at the same time. It's very red you can
find a guy that size, that skill set, that can
attack but also not leave himself open for big shots.
And also he has a very underrated chin that doesn't
get the respect as you know you would, uh you
would more likely get with other people. However, I think

(30:52):
Crawford's gonna fight a good fight. The issue is this,
The biggest issue is but moving up and wait at
this age is a very tough thing to do. It's
not impossible, but I really haven't seen it fighting this
caliber of opponent. We've seen guys move up multiple classes
but fight lesser tiered opponents. You're fighting one of the

(31:14):
best cars in the world, and you're moving up, and
the fight we saw you at a larger weight didn't
look great. You move from one forty seven to one
fifty four wasn't impressive. It was I and then I
move in the well sixty eight. I just don't see it.
I don't see I think he's gonna fight a great fight.
I think he's gonna put his best foot forward. I
do something that's gonna be good enough. I think we

(31:36):
have a good fight. If I had to bet it,
i'd put a little something on the draw, just a
little something, not a whole lot, but a little change
in the draw, because boxing is weird sometimes.

Speaker 5 (31:46):
Hey, after I didn't bet on the draw on the
Pecchio his most recent fight, I'm never not betting a
driver to get on major fights. Like I was so
mad at myself, but even I said it before the fight,
I'm like, well I should, but then I just forgot. Okay,
let me give you a little let me count that
a little bit. You know, I think Bud is being
counted out to a little too quickly. And here's the thing.

(32:09):
I love both guys, but and Canelo are some of
my favorite fighters at the moment. Canelo, even though he's
slowed down, you know, he's still my guy and he's
not the quality Canlo that he was three three to
five years ago. But him slowing down is a big deal.
We kind of tend to stick to the first piece
of information that we get, and everybody says, you know,

(32:30):
Bud didn't look that great against the Matdram fight the
first time he went up the weight class. Okay, you
know I rewatched the fight. Maybe not as impressive as
always been, But what if he just had an off night.
That can happen to anybody, you know, I'm not gonna
necessarily say that. You know, it was the weight class increase.
He wasn't as fast as he you as he was,
but he wasn't slow. He was not slow. We also

(32:53):
don't know how whether Bud cuts weight. Typically Canelo has
thread upstad. I don't know if you've heard him and it,
but Canelo is straight up said he cuts weight, like
he says, he walks around in like one eighty something
and he cuts Yeah, I don't know how much Bud
walks around with I don't know that I've ever heard
him say that, so has he been is he going
to be close to, you know, a weight he's comfortable at?

(33:14):
Just in general in this fight, he's very strong and
he's jack. Here's another thing I was thinking about recently.
I know height doesn't really matter that much with weight classes,
but Canelo's five eight, like actually five seven and a
half Buds five eight. I see Canelo is actually kind
of a little guy that got beefy. He's not a
huge dude.

Speaker 2 (33:35):
You know.

Speaker 5 (33:35):
He fought a huge dude of Bebo Bible was a
huge dude. It didn't go well. I think Canelo's better
suited for somebody like But the way he's moved before
against guys like Plant, against Billy Joe Saunders, he moves
like a little guy who just put on some weight.
But that doesn't make you not a little guy, you
know what I'm saying. So I think that I think, honestly,

(33:57):
Canelo would do better if he went down await class
yes to fight Bud, because I think that him with
his age slowing down as much as he has, is
going to be trouble. But is still not only is
he fast, not only is his switch hitter, and Canelo
has had trouble with South Pouds before. But smart he

(34:17):
also knows that Canelo on the cards is Vegas. Is
a tricky proposition, Like I'm just there's no way he
doesn't know that, right, So I feel Bud is going
to attempt to win on points. I don't believe he
can knock Canelo down, definitely not knock him out. But
if Bud can look like Devin Haney versus h craiky

(34:40):
guy George Campbos is junior, no question that Haney embarrassed
that man on Craikie island like all throughout, sticking moving,
getting in with the jab over and over. Cambos is
not being able to land partly anything on Hani. If
he does that, it might even still be a split decision,

(35:02):
like you know, one guy might call it a drawer
or something. But I think Bud has that ability to
uh to do that and just kind of make it
clear that he outclassed Canel. I don't know, I don't
know where the strength factor, the power factor comes in,
but as strong as hell, Canelo is a power puncher.

(35:22):
But we did see him, you know, trying to throw
power punches against William Skull and not really getting past
that defense. So what are your thoughts on that? On
each guy's power when it.

Speaker 3 (35:30):
Comes to you're fair, I is more than fair. My
thing is this does power?

Speaker 4 (35:36):
Does power work versus a guy that has a great chin,
Like That's my thing. Like I don't know where Crawford's
power is. Wheresus a guy with Canelo's chin. That's the
issue I have. I don't know where you know, I'm
not sure. And I think is one thing to having
power is another thing to be able to land that power.

(35:57):
To you land that power consistently is the biggest quest hit.

Speaker 5 (36:02):
But bud it has a very good ring IQ And
the thing about the Mata mouth fight that I rewatched,
it seems to be he started slow, was getting caught
with a lot of really good hooks, taking those power
punches in stride, mind you, but then he seemed to
seemed to timed about. He seemed to time out madaw
for a while. There's a few rounds there when he
was getting in between the punches, which is, you know,

(36:22):
always been excellent at Canelo has also been excellent at
that in the past. In recent time not so much,
I feel like, but it's gonna but it's gonna land
some power punches consistently that will not hurt break or
hurt Canelo. No, but I think they're gonna look good
as hell.

Speaker 4 (36:38):
No, they're gonna look good. It's gonna be a back
and forth. They're gonna see a lot of action, but
it won't be like brawling action. It will be activity,
which is good, which is good for the fight. However,
if you're looking for a knockdown, I don't think you
see this fight. I don't think it's just a fight
for that. I think you're gonna be You're gonna an
actual boxing match. I just think that what Crawford and
Earl Spinch are not gonna see. I think I would

(37:00):
watch to t people's expectation that you're not going to
see you get dropped like that several times. That's not this,
that's not gonna happen.

Speaker 3 (37:06):
It's not.

Speaker 4 (37:07):
However, I think you can see an active fight where
both guys are actively fighting good fights. I think you
can get that for sure.

Speaker 5 (37:14):
Do you think Canelo can knock down.

Speaker 3 (37:16):
But yes, yes, power wise boxing skills, yes, absolutely, I.

Speaker 5 (37:21):
Think so too. I think he's knocked down bigger guys
like Berlanga if he can do that. But again not
to not to equate Bud Craftford with Berlega by any means,
Uh yeah, please, I'm not doing that. I'm just I'm
just saying that, you know, the power is the power
is is real. Here's another factor. Now, does Canelo how

(37:42):
hard will Canelo train? Does he really think? But is
a is a risk or or or a danger I guess?
Or is he like easy work? Because I'm not saying
that this is the case, but a case could be
made that Canelo has cared less, especially since he's been
hooked up with the Saudi's and he's getting this. He
might think this is an easy ps, you know, easy

(38:03):
ps win for a big Bay Day. I don't know,
what do you think.

Speaker 4 (38:06):
I think he definitely cares. It's a legacy fight. This
is one of the names that when you go in
Hall of Fame they talk about who you defeated. You know,
he's fought good fighter, great fighters, a lot of big names.
But this is a big, big situation because both guys
are similar part of their careers. Both guys are basically
one and two in the sport in a sense, you know,
in a grand sense, there.

Speaker 3 (38:26):
You know.

Speaker 4 (38:28):
With that being said, if he wins this, it makes
his resume that much better. If he loses it, it's
not the end of the world. But if he wins it,
it's it makes it top top notch man. It's very impressive.
So he's definite taking a serious but also his thing.
You have, you have opportunity to make another fight. If

(38:49):
it's close, we're gonna get another fight. If it's if
again this one fifteen, one thirteen, all the cards, get
ready for get ready for May.

Speaker 3 (38:56):
We're getting a fight in Ai. That's I mean, we
we know how this works.

Speaker 4 (39:00):
I think a lot from the are very prideful. That's
the first thing. Also, they're both great fire. They're not
gonna take you. No, there's no way, there's no way.
Not too many eyes are on them. Everybody's watching. Everyone
has no flukes or has access to Netflix. Everybody's watching everyone.

Speaker 3 (39:18):
Everyone.

Speaker 5 (39:20):
Well, I'm very excited. I think that you know, like
I said, as a Canelo fanboy, I do think he's
been a little bit, uh, he's lost a step lately.
But I would hope that's normal, Like yeah, yeah, and
I would I would hope that he knows that this
is for all the marbles, you know, like, this isn't
just some some tune up fight. This isn't William Skull again.

(39:42):
And no disrespect to Skull, I mean, he's you got
in that ring. You always got to respect the guy
for doing that. But the difference in the outcome of
the fight, the quality of the fight, is very clear.
So I kind of hope that we see, if not
the old Canelo, I see somebody that really really is
hungry and wants that win. But I also, man, it's
it's so hard to get me to bet against budget.

(40:03):
I just it's so hard.

Speaker 4 (40:05):
Uh, I understand I where you're coming from. My thing
is we know boxing very well. So when you know boxing,
you understand it. You have to use what you have
in order to make quality decisions. You have to use
your boxing knowledge to make sound decisions.

Speaker 3 (40:21):
And I think it would be unfair.

Speaker 4 (40:23):
If we didn't use our expertise in making the correct
analyst And now it's in my opinion, could be wrong.
But we know boxing more than most and we have
to use what we have. Now, something crazy apps on Saturday.
Hey it happens, we'll cover it that way. But going
into it, we gotta be honest with everything.

Speaker 5 (40:40):
Sure, and I think that yes, we know boxing more
than most, but a lot of people know Canilo overeas
you know, he's he's a very well known name face
of boxing. Bud Crawford is not as well known as
he should be. So I think there's a lot of the.

Speaker 3 (40:54):
That's on him.

Speaker 5 (40:56):
That's fair, that's fair, that's fair. I'm not even arguing
that point. All I say is that it's easier for
somebody say Canelo. I know Canelo is a tough guy.
He's went a lot of fights, you know, I don't.
I don't think Bud gets his is due from people
like the real analysts for his style and the trouble
he could the trouble it could be for Canelo now,
is what I'm saying.

Speaker 4 (41:15):
No, I know, I hear you on that. My thing
with Budd is this, Budd's took with top rank so
long and didn't do a whole lot of self promoting.
So it's hard when you're on a promotion company that
is not known that great for marketing against fighters and
also fight. Like Alf said, like you know, you know
every sometimes guys instantly fight you know guys, So yeah,

(41:36):
I personally, I just think that a lot of Crawford's
shortcomings are self inflicted, which sucks because imagine if he
did have great marketing, Imagine if he did have different
opponents throughout the years, were totally different conversation.

Speaker 3 (41:53):
This fight is just that much bigger than.

Speaker 5 (41:55):
Sure, sure, No. I think he absolutely deserves to be
one of the faces of boxing day as well, and
I think that he hasn't gotten his due. It's like
people know who he is, but not enough or people
know who he is but don't put enough respect on
his name. Is like, uh, that's what it is.

Speaker 3 (42:10):
That's what it is.

Speaker 5 (42:11):
Yeah, he's like Wesley Stipes household named great career, but
he has not been regarded as the greatest action star
of the nineties as I think he is better than
Bruce willis better than Arnold And that's a whole it's
a whole different conversation, the whole other podcast. So okay,
let's before we go, We've got an official prediction from Warrenshaw,

(42:33):
head of nineteen Media group, you know, the network here
that has allowed us the opportunity to do the show
for as many episodes as we have. So we're going
to play his official prediction and then we're going to
finish off with ours straight up, no equivocating what we
think is going to happen. But let's bring in a
recording of Warren, what do you got for us?

Speaker 6 (42:51):
Let's get everybody's your boy. Warrenshaw, co founder of nineteen
Media Group, co host of The Basin NBA podcasts, and
host of Dope Interviews, rocking with the fellas at the
Next Company, and they're great coverage of Canelo Verros Crawford,
and in this match, I'm gonna go with Canelo over
Crawford and the split decision. I'd like to go with Bud,
but I just can't see it happen in Canelo's split decision.

Speaker 1 (43:11):
Hey, folks is barred from behind the scenes. Just wanted
to thank Warren for his thoughts on the fight and
also share the other bosses prediction. Mo the co owner
of nineteen Media Group, has also chimed in and he
says he's going with Canelo almost entirely due to the
weight that they're fighting at. In theory, Crawford should be
slightly slower due to the added weight, but the problem
is getting hit with a power shot of Canelo's strength

(43:33):
and size, so he thinks Canelo catches him by the
mid rounds. And also, funny enough, Moe wanted to know
from you guys how they thought the fight might go
five years ago, and they actually addressed that in the
conversation with the legend Al Bernstein. As you've already heard. Anyhow,
we appreciate the support of the mighty nineteen media group family.

Speaker 3 (43:53):
Now back to the fellas.

Speaker 5 (43:55):
All right, thanks, Warren, appreciate it. All right, I'll go first,
because Jameson, you're the person that straight up said this
fight would happen this year. I was skeptical, so I'll
let you have him last word on this. I am
going to go Bud Crawford win. Uh, split decision. One
judge will either say draw or even loss. But I
Am going to go for a Bud win that will

(44:17):
then lead to a rematch and put that on the record.
What do you think is gonna happen on Saturday? Jameson?

Speaker 4 (44:24):
Canelo wins one seventeen one one sixteen, one eleven. Okay, yeah,
I think one sixteen, one seventeen to one eleven. Uh,
Canelo wins, close fight, good fight, but it'll be like, hey,
the better the better guy won the bigger guy won,

(44:45):
but the other guy fought a good fight. I just
think that as big as Canelo is, also he's used
to big fights. This is a very big fight. I
don't know how many fights Crawford has been in where
he has not been the best fighter in or uh,
you know, someone at the same talent level and also
someone can also make adjustments like Canelo can mid fight.

(45:09):
I'm very curious to see how Crawford responds to someone
who's able to make adjustments and also a box smarter
you know, with them as well. So I think it's
a good fight. I think in the later rounds will
be very telling to see how the lack of the
difference in weight impacts both guys.

Speaker 3 (45:27):
To see. I know Craft's gonna be in a great shape.

Speaker 4 (45:28):
I just don't know if you're getting hit by guy
that's bigger and your punches are not affect the guy
coming at you, I don't know how that works. I
don't know how that impacts it. But I think we
have a unanimous decision Canelo Canelo is the winner.

Speaker 3 (45:42):
However, I think it will be close enough to have
rematch talks.

Speaker 5 (45:46):
Okay, excellent, Now, just out of curiosity, what if they
fo five years earlier, what do you think the fight
would look like?

Speaker 4 (45:53):
Then, Well, here's the thing. We got prime Canelo versus
prime Crawford. Age wise, I would still take Canelo because
the the waight difference, that's the issue. The way I mean,
Crawford's a natural one to forty seven guy. Canelo's not
like he fought Floyd at one fifty two ten years

(46:13):
ago or twelve years ago, whatever it was, and that
was a stretch. So yeah, man, uh Canelo, it's just
a different Like I said, it's not a traditional it's
a weird matchup. It's not a traditional fix fit. It's
more of a uncond unconventional match here. You now that

(46:33):
being said, well, I think is a better boxer, has
better skills. I think Crawford's a more skills fighter. I
think Canelo has improved so much in his game from
when we first saw him to now. It's it's amazing
because he's added so many different things in his repertoire,
especially you know how he uses his hands, his defense,
his head, movement, his shoulder, like, so many things have

(46:55):
changed when we first saw him. It's it's very very impressive.
But I think Crawford is a yal. Well, you can
make argument that Crawford doesn't have a lot of flaws
in his game as a fighter. I mean, that's the
biggest thing where Crawford has thing in this particular matchup. Man,
when you're giving away twenty plus pounds and you're getting going,
Skuy has a great chin. It's not like he has
a class jaw. You know, has a great chin. So

(47:17):
even if you're hitting him with a great shot, if
it's not impacting him that much, I don't know why.

Speaker 3 (47:22):
I don't know how that works.

Speaker 4 (47:23):
So but that being said that, I think Canelo is
just a bad matchup for Crawford. But I'm not gonna
roll butt out like Abud wins by split decision or
majority decision or whatever it is. Wouldn't be surprised.

Speaker 5 (47:36):
Yeah, I think the way Canelo moved five years ago,
with both strength and speed, I think he would have
definitely cut but when the power shot he wasn't expecting. Yeah.
The thing that really really gives Bud a shot these
days is, like I said, the decrease in speed from
Panelo the past last few years, and it's just been
so clear, you know, just go back and watch. Let's

(47:57):
say Billy just unders from a couple of years ago,
but just the way he moved was just compared to
now and no, no, no, shade, you know, he's he's
still he's still a smart fighter. He's still definitely definitely
has adjusted being aware that he's slowed down a lot.
But it's just nine day to be honest with, right, cool,
So scale one to ten? How excited you for Saturday twelve? Twelve? Yeah? Yeah,

(48:20):
I was gonna say eleven actually, but you're right, definitely twelve.

Speaker 3 (48:25):
You know, also that I gotta you know, I'm gonna
put the credit card out, you know.

Speaker 5 (48:29):
Yeah, yeah, that pakes me until fourteen.

Speaker 4 (48:32):
Damn ye had to pay charge on the cable bill.

Speaker 3 (48:37):
So yeah, I'm cool.

Speaker 5 (48:39):
This year we had to pay ninety bucks or watch
a shitty stream that was popping it out.

Speaker 4 (48:43):
I'd be like, yeah, stream or just or just paying
a hundred dollars for a fight, man, you know, I mean,
I got it, but it's like, damn, why I don't really.

Speaker 5 (48:52):
Want to you know, no, there's other stuff I can
do with it, exactly. Yeah, No, I I just hope
that the Foix stream is good. You know, I know
you mentioned before that there are the leven events have
been great. The only thing I know about it was
the Jake faul fight with Tyson. There's a lot of
complaints about it dipping in and out, so I hopefully
they get those kicks worked out. I'll be going to

(49:12):
my regular place, the neighborhood out on the South side
here in Tucson, the best place to watch boxing, and
hopefully the Mexicans come out and we all definitely.

Speaker 4 (49:21):
Coming out, Like man, Mexican's definitely coming out. I'm curiously
gonna I'm curious how it's gonna be in Vegas because
this weekends, like I'm using a big weekend, like everybody
out from Thursday on. I don't know how it's gonna
be with the economy being the way it is, the
laws being the way there, I don't know.

Speaker 3 (49:36):
I'm very curious.

Speaker 4 (49:37):
Also, it's in a football stadium, so it's gonna be
like sixty thousand people in there. Very curiously how it's
gonna go. But I can't wait. Gonna have a story
to tell either way. But I'm definitely excited. You know,
we don't have a whole lot of these. There's not
a lot of these that we can even make if
you think about it, right, Like all the guys are
currently boxing, there's a lot of mega fights out there,
Like even with that being set with Tank and let's

(49:58):
say hypothetically he fought a shit Core.

Speaker 3 (50:00):
Or hany or whoever, it's not in a football stadium. No,
you know what I mean, You know what I mean.

Speaker 4 (50:05):
There's only a handful of fights that could be in
a football stadium. And honestly, as of right now, this
might be the only one I can actually think of
at all possible matchups that you can make.

Speaker 3 (50:16):
I don't think there's another one that can be made.

Speaker 5 (50:18):
So yeah, of current fighters, Yeah, unless you know, I
don't know Maywether in many fights back in.

Speaker 4 (50:23):
The day, No if if Mayweather packed, yeah, was fought
when it was supposed to be fought. Yeah, you could
have had that at any football stadium in the world
and it would have slowed out. But that's a whole
different thing. And yeah, that's yeah, that's a mess of itself.

Speaker 5 (50:37):
But yeah, sure, well, man cannot wait. We're gonna wrap
it up and uh, you know, get I'm gonna start
preparing for the fight now, just gonna start getting my
stomach getting take my tombes ready for all the food
and booze. I'm going to drink over the weekend at
the neighborhood so uh good. I'm gonna do stomach exercise,
but at the kind you think of. Jamie said, where
can people fight you? On social media? On Twitter at

(50:58):
the Jamison That's when you get me out the most.

Speaker 6 (51:02):
Man.

Speaker 3 (51:02):
I can't wait till Saturday.

Speaker 5 (51:05):
Can't wait either. So you can follow the show on Instagram, Twitter,
and Blue Sky. It's at Mixed co Podcasts on every platform.
Make sure you subscribe to us on Apple, Spotify, iHeartRadio,
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(51:25):
email address. If you have any questions for the mailbag,
fun stories about watching boxing and Mixed Company, or your
thoughts on the Canelo Crawford matchup, send it all to
letters at mixedcopodcast dot com. Don't forget we drop new
episodes every other Thursday, so please join us again on
September twenty fifth for a debrief on Canelo Crawford as
well as more news from the boxing world. We have
been the Mixed Company Podcast nineteen Media Group Production. Thank

(51:47):
you so much for listening and ood

Speaker 2 (51:54):
Thank you