(JULY 18)  – TEMECULA, CA – TEMECULA, CA – Al Bernstein, one of boxing’s most recognizable and respected commentators for more than 40 years, will team up with 2014 International Women's Boxing Hall of Fame inductee and also fellow International Boxing Hall of Fame and event promoter Christy Martin, as well as top matchmaker and broadcast professional Eric Bottjer, to form the all-star commentary team for this Friday, July 18’s “Lopez vs. Vargas,” professional boxing show from Pechanga Resort Casino in Temecula, California and broadcast live in full on Millions PPV (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT) for just USD $19.99.

Presented by Christy Martin Promotions and Patrick Ortiz’s Ringside Ticket Inc., in the intriguing 10-round welterweight main event that night, Corona, California’s Louie Lopez (16-2-3, 5 KOs) will face undefeated Adrian Vargas (15-0-1, 10 KOs) from National City, California. And in the 10-round super welterweight co-feature, Emeka Nwokolo (15-1, 13 KOs) of Los Angeles via Benin City, Nigeria, will take on Jireh De Los Santos (15-2-2, 5 KOs) of Weslaco, Texas.

Known worldwide as “The Voice of Boxing,” Al Bernstein first gained notoriety while working as an analyst (and often host) of the Top Rank Boxing Series on ESPN from 1980 to 1998. In the early 2000s, Bernstein moved to Showtime Networks and added his signature commentary voice to many of the greatest fights of the past four decades on Showtime Championship Boxing, SHOBOX: The New Generation, and over 150 pay-per-view events, including the three highest grossing events in television history.

The first American broadcaster to commentate boxing for a linear TV network in the United Kingdom, Bernstein has also served as ringside analyst for boxing telecasts for Channel 5 and ITV and has carved out a career of varied endeavors, including television, movies, and as a live stage performer.  Bernstein was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2012.

“I’m excited to be a part of this event for a number of reasons,” admitted Bernstein. “I get to work with my friends: boxing legend Christy Martin, top matchmaker Eric Bottjer and great California promoter Partrick Ortiz. Plus, returning to Pechanga Casino and Resort for this event is also a delight — I’ve announced many great boxing events from that venue. I am also excited to be working for the first time with Millions PPV, an exciting new platform for boxing and other sports and entertainment endeavors. I’m also pleased that I’ll be interacting with fans at pre-fight events and on fight night. I love doing these kinds of events around the country where I can interact with boxing fans. I am in the midst with of a series of these appearances for promoters all around the United States and elsewhere.”

A pay-per-view favorite during boxing’s golden age, Martin made a name for herself fighting on the undercards superstars such as Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield, Félix Trinidad and Julio César Chávez. During a fighting career that spanned from 1989 to 2012, among her many accolades and distinctions, she held the WBC Female Super Welterweight World Championship.

Considered the person who “legitimized” women’s participation in the sport of boxing, Martin was the first female boxer ever elected to the Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame and was also elected to the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2020, which was the first year that women were on the ballot.

Since her retirement, Martin has been reborn as a highly respected boxing promoter and the President of Christy Martin Promotions, as well as a boxing analyst and motivational speaker. In 2021, Netflix released Untold: Deal with the Devil, a documentary chronicling Martin’s career and personal life. In 2024, it was announced that a biopic of her life, starring Sydney Sweeney, was in production. The film was shot in September and October 2024 and is expected to be released in November 2025.

“This is a thrill for me, working with two of the best in boxing,” said Christy Martin. “And the fact that this is a Christy Martin Promotions event makes it even more of a joy to be part of. Al and Eric are two of the best in the business with two lifetimes of boxing experience in knowledge to share with the audience. We have a great show for the viewers and fans, and I can’t wait for fight night.”

Known as one of the most important matchmakers in boxing for the past three decades, Eric Bottjer has made some of the biggest boxing matches of the modern era while working for such important promoters as Don King, Eddie Hearn, Cedric Kushner Promotions and Dan Goossen.

A journalism major at the University of Oregon, Bottjer has also served double duty as a writer for important publications including The Ring Magazine and has become a popular commentator on global steaming platform DAZN.

“It’s a joy to work with Al and Christy,” said Eric Bottjer. “Al is one of the best broadcasters in the history of our sport. He’s fantastic. Christy and her wife Lisa are not only my friends they are also doing the right thing in boxing, which is giving opportunities to fighters on mid-level shows that are so badly needed to advance their careers so they can move on to bigger things eventually.”

Jeremiah Gallegos will serve as the night’s ring announcer.

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