By Victor Salazar
Brooklyn, New York- 2015 may have not been as good of a year as 2013 to Showtime analyst Al Bernstein - but he still considers it a solid year all around. 2015 was the year when fans finally got to see Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto vs. Canelo Alvarez. It was also the year Wladimir Klitschko was finally dethroned, after eleven unbeaten years, by Tyson Fury.
2015 will segue into 2016 with major fights that Bernstein hopes will happen.
“In 2014, we didn’t capitalize on the amazing year that 2013 was,” Bernstein told BoxingScene.com. “So in 2016 we need to capitalize and make these big fights. I like to see Kovalev and Ward fight in 2016. I definitely love the fight between Shawn Porter and Keith Thurman. I also think the heavyweight division has a global bona fide super fight if Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury can get in the ring.”
The heavyweight division is transitioning from the era of Klitschko to the new age. Fury defeated Klitschko convincingly, but to Bernstein the man that will rule at heavyweight is Fury’s countryman, Anthony Joshua (14-0, 14KOs).
“I think Anthony Joshua is the real deal. I was one of those people that gave Tyson Fury a good shot at beating Wladimir Klitschko. At the end of the day I think Anthony Joshua is going to be the best heavyweight, not only that but I think he’ll be the best heavyweight of the last 30 years," Bernstein said.
This Saturday, Joshua faces domestic rival Dillian Whyte (16-0, 13KOs) at the O2 in London.
