In an interview with OutKick’s “The Ricky Cobb Show,” the 73-year-old commentator was asked about his feelings toward the impending Mike Tyson-Jake Paul fight.
“In my opinion, it ultimately has no bearing on the boxing sport. It’s literally nothing at all—each one-off. The idea that they either attract new followers or alienate existing ones is not one I buy into. They seem to be one-offs, and as long as people want them, they will continue to occur.
In recognition of his contributions to the sport as a journalist and broadcaster, Bernstein was admitted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2012.
Despite his belief that celebrity boxing fights bring “nothing” to the sport, he has been covering boxing since the 1970s, and it doesn’t seem like they are going away anytime soon.
We live in a society now where anything that is marketable will happen, no matter what it is, don’t we? This comes down to marketability, which is what it’s all about. People seem to be interested in it; they have shown interest in some of these celebrity boxing bouts, and you can even include crossover battles between mixed martial arts and boxing in that.”
“People want to see it for whatever reason, and in this day and age, you can have it if you can profit $1 off it.