About “Bad” Brad

 

“Bad” Brad Berkwitt has done a lot in his 55 years on Planet Earth from a career in the Navy, to success in the civilian sector and another career in the boxing world. Not to stop there… He also acted. Acting was in his blood. His late Father, Alvin Berkwitt, studied with Lee Strasberg. After a successful 20 years and 28 days (September 2, 1986 – September 30,2006) career in the US Navy with 16 1/2 years of it in the intelligence field, where he served during war and peacetime in (Boot Camp Great Lakes, Illinois), Pensacola, Florida, Sigonella, Sicily (The Gulf War), Washington, DC (2 tours), Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Alexandria, Virginia, Seoul South Korea and finishing up his career working at the Pentagon (The Iraq War) where he retired from Active Duty in 2006. “Bad” Brad would go into the Government contracting world, working for the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization (JIEDDO) at the COIC in Virginia for almost three years (2006-2009) in the Personnel & Physical Security Office and was also the Classified Indoctrinations Supervisor. 

He would leave (JIEDDO) in early 2009 and go on to work for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), from (2009-2012), where he worked as a Program Manager, with a staff of 7, managing over a million dollar government contract for the National Protection and Programs Directorate (NPPD) as a Government Contractor. Berkwitt, retired completely from the 9-5 grind in 2012 at the end of the contract with DHS. While retired, he could not fight the urge to follow in his father’s footsteps and act.

Berkwitt took acting classes with the Emmy Award winning Michael J. Baker at the Little Theater of Alexandria in Alexandria, VA in early 2013.  Upon graduation, he landed several acting gigs in early 2013-2014 to include, stage work, several shows on the ID Channel, Veep, House of Cards, TV Commercials, Dinner Theater, Industrial Videos and Independent Film.

“Bad” Brad is also a former amateur boxer (80 – 83) who fought all over Florida during that time out of the Allen Park Gym in North Miami Beach, Florida. His nickname “Bad” came from fellow Author and Boxing Ring Announcer, Henry “Dis-com-bob-u-lating” Jones in 2000 and has stuck ever since. In Henry’s words, “I gave him that nickname because he always stands up for what he believes in, and the fighters truly respect him for being so positive in all of his interviews.” This was never more evident than in Berkwitt’s hit boxing book: BOXING INTERVIEWS OF A LIFETIME.

From 2000-2012, Berkwitt was the boxing analyst on the highly rated TV show Sports Talk, with Host Glenn Harris, on News Channel 8.  The show was viewed in Virginia, Washington, DC, Maryland and West Virginia.

In 2004, he created the website Ringside Report that in subsequent years, has become known as “The Heart of Boxing”. In 2018, he recreated Ringside Report to include politics, entertainment, world news and other sports making it a online magazine with lots of diversity (Berkwitt’s favorite word in the dictionary) for RSR’s daily readers.

In 2015, “Bad” Brad took his 18 plus years at that point of conducting interviews with some of the biggest names in Boxing and Hollywood, and created The “Bad” Brad Berkwitt Show which has become a fan favorite in the United States & around the world. To date, he has had on a who’s who of boxing, entertainment, politics, business and more with guests like Anthony Scaramucci, Glenn Kirschner, Frank Figliuzzi, Olive Troye, Mary L. Trump, Wang Chung, Melissa Manchester, Lead Singer of the Legendary Tubes, Fee Waybill, Eric Roberts, Hal Linden, Chris Sarandon, Freda Payne, Lipps, INC lead singer Cynthia Johnson, Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, Trevor Steele and Johnnie Cristo of The Escape Club and Lead Singer Gordon Deppe and Sandy Horne from the hit Canadian band Spoons to name just a few. “Bad” Brad is  using his show as a platform for his own activism and support for social justice and civil rights issues. Berkwitt has moved away from the show’s original sports theme to a cultural one to give greater access to personalities impacting culture. His hashtag #MovingHumanityForward defines him.

“Bad” Brad is also considered in many circles as a film historian.  He has one of the largest collections of Frank Sinatra’s music on CD and has collected Sinatra memorabilia over the  years.  Yes, of course, Sinatra is his favorite male singer of all time. Flip that for his favorite female singer. You will hear him playing “The Little Sparrow” Edith Piaf in his rotation of daily music. Two singers who truly are icons in their industry!

On June 20, 2021, “Bad” Brad was inducted into the Florida Boxing Hall of Fame Class of 2021.  It was a humbling experience for him to be inducted into the FBHOF  amongst giants in boxing with his lady Debbie by his side.

Alvin F. Berkwitt (RIP)

April 12, 1928 – July 2, 1998

Dad, your fight for Civil Rights and important social issues during your lifetime as well as your love of acting, has passed on to your only child. 

You were always on the right side of history.  I always want to be on that side too no matter at what personal cost.

I cannot thank you enough!  

I will never stop missing you…

Until we meet again…

Love Always, 

Bradley

Alvin F. Berkwitt

A Father’s Love For His Only Child (1968) New Rochelle, New York