By Rocky Esposito: Right from the very start I want to establish that I am a (Boxing) fan. Personally, the way I look at it, the best Boxer’s only fight 2 or 3 nights a year. So, I do not care which network (HBO or Showtime) has more subscribers. (Because in actuality, those numbers are highly misleading anyway because the number of viewership is not solely based on Boxing viewership alone).
I have no dog in the hunt. I am just a simple Boxing fan, all I really care about is watching high quality, competitive fights on a consistent basis. And, another important point, the fights must be scored/judged fairly.
A major pet peeve of mine, and its really sad that I have to put so much emphasis on this point… The gentleman calling the fight must have the ability to call the fight fairly and respectfully. They cannot behave like a one-sided emotional fan. (I give Showtime an A+ in this area and HBO a D-). When I’m watching a fight, it irritates me highly when an announcer is just blatantly being one-sided.
Forgive me for calling him out, but Jim Lampley is absolutely notorious for this. He has a good voice, but he seems to lack the emotional and professional discipline to honestly and evenly call a fight. Many fights, (you can feel it right through the TV), it feels as if poor Max Kellerman’s and Roy Jones Jr.’s second job is pulling Lampley back from going off the deep end at times. (And HBO and Top Rank wonder why fighters want to jump ship).
If HBO’s executives truly believe this has no bearing on its viewers and fighters minds alike, they should hire a consulting firm for a few million dollars. ****Actually, its sad, but they can just save the money and instead ask one of their best fighters (Timothy Bradley) and his trainer Joel Diaz if Lampley’s antics aren’t a legitimate concern. During the actual Pacquaio vs Bradley II fight (A Championship Title Fight mind you), right after the 6th Round ended you can clearly hear Joel Diaz in the corner informing Timothy… (Don’t worry, Lampley will take care of that, he’ll be saying he
If I am wrong, please conduct a private, independent poll and see if my evaluation is wrong. It may seem like I am being harsh on HBO and Lampley specifically, but it amazes me that they they have not figured this out yet. To make matters worse, Lampley then goes on his show and blasts two really good guys in Andre Ward and Mikey Garcia. Also, I am sure Max Kellerman’s verbal assaults on Adonis Stevenson after his last KO win in Canada made signing that contract with Al Haymon only more sweet. If HBO did not learn their lesson with Larry Merchant, then they never will. HBO, your announcers are not more important then your actual fighters! Jim Lampley may feel that way because you foolishly pay him more then your actual fighters like Mikey Garcia, Andre Ward, etc. But, believe us fans, they are not.
Now let me review Showtime’s announcing/calling crew… It is like a breath of fresh air compared listening to a fight called on HBO, it really is. With Showtime’s crew, it’s double your pleasure because most of the Fight Cards are stacked with talented fighters, and on the mic you have (HOF) Al Bernstein, who is one of the best, humblest, and honest announcers you will ever meet. Alongside Al you have Pauly Malignaggi, who is extremely accurate with his insight and analysis. He is a fan favorite because he speaks the truth, whether it is politically correct or not. And finally you have Mauro Ranallo, who is great, especially when the action in the fight is heating up. The best quality this crew possess though? Their honesty and sincere respect for the fighters. I like the fact that they score each round, and place their cards on the table so to speak. Also, their love and respect for Boxing in general is very admirable. By the way, Al Bernstein has his own Youtube Channel were he hosts his own Boxing web-show called Al’s Hangouts. It is great.
Tomorrow I will conclude this article with Part 2… (Review of the Fighters, the Promotional Companies, and the Managers).
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