Foreign VS American Commentators

[bobcatbox]

Hot take incoming.

I thought the commentating during the recent Whyte-Povetkin and Horn-Tsyzu bouts was phenomenal. Why do American boxing broadcasts seem to have a hard time doing a decent job calling fights? I want to shut them off half the time and the other half of the time they're so biased towards their network's fighter that it sounds more like a sales pitch than a sports broadcast. I thought yesterday's Horn-Tsyzu commentary was exciting, insightful, honest, and substantive. Someone needs to step up and actually put a decent team together.

[Cent0089]

As a non american and non englishman i can safely tell you your commentators are just fantastic with boxing almost all matches. Maybe some biased comentators bothers me a bit. You should hear eastern euro commentators, Just terrible

[dookus]

US commentators > Sky commentators any day of the week

[a93]

Sky commentators are absolute garbage.

[iestynvenables]

i like crystina poncher and chris algeria because most of their commentary is calling the fight, rarely do they miss punches, they talk about tactics of both fighters, Its simple not much hyperbole, imo its what most fans want

[margaret thatcher]

Most of them just suck housefighter / a side d!ck , regardless of network or location

[DrDuke]

Commentators become more and more biased through years. Today no network has a single good one. Sky sucks the most though.

[Boxing Prospect]

i like crystina poncher and chris algeria because most of their commentary is calling the fight, rarely do they miss punches, they talk about tactics of both fighters, Its simple not much hyperbole, imo its what most fans want

The best current pairing in the sport for me. And by some margin.

Bring back Ian Darke damnit!

[gregregegg]

They are all unbelievably bias if it suits them., i feel like half there job is to trick people into leanning far enough their fighters way that they can justify some of there robberys/home town decisions happening. In the rare chance where a network/promotion dont care who wins they can be decent i guess.

I dont mind when the ex pros are bias, like, they are boxers, they are emotional, if they like someone or someones style and they call it more for them, eh thats fine... but when the career presenters are bias that shiits me, because there job is to present, should be able to do it objectively.

[Onetimeonly]

I used to love sopcast streams from Poland. I need crowd noise or voice for focus, but no commentary in English I enjoy now or for quite some time.

[Thomastearns]

They are all unbelievably bias if it suits them., i feel like half there job is to trick people into leanning far enough their fighters way that they can justify some of there robberys/home town decisions happening. In the rare chance where a network/promotion dont care who wins they can be decent i guess.

I dont mind when the ex pros are bias, like, they are boxers, they are emotional, if they like someone or someones style and they call it more for them, eh thats fine... but when the career presenters are bias that shiits me, because there job is to present, should be able to do it objectively.

This isnt just a boxing issue. Once upon a time they used to consider themselves as broadcasters. They would do their research on the background of the subjects they were going to commentate upon and try to maintain a semblance of impartiality. Plenty of examples exist from Howard Cosell (US) to David Coleman (UK). These guys used to set the example the others tried to follow.

Nowadays they seem to have become mere lackeys (well paid though) of the network they work for. Extremely limited in opinions and insight. Football pundits here in the UK have rendered watching it mind numbingly dull. Defies belief they can be paid so much for saying so little.

The recent sacking of Paulie Malignaggi, perhaps the most interesting voice in boxing, only made this clearer.

I first noticed this phenomena during the 1984 Olympic Games from Los Angeles where the broadcasters seemed obsessed about focussing on the US competitors to the exclusion of everyone else.

Since that was the first Olympics that didn't run a debt I guess that's the blueprint that's been followed ever since. Nevermind that it goes against everything the Olympics is supposed to be about.

In the end sports is about making money, and perhaps this overly patriotic style makes them the most money. Maybe it's just us enthusiasts who find this garbage unpleasant?

The casuals aren't likely to know or demand any better, are they? For the rest of us there's still YouTube etc.

[Counter-puncher]

Algieri is the best US analyst/ co-commentator I have heard in a while

[lazboy]

I rate Ward. He’s the standout for me overall,so, merica wins. Go trump!

[Paci]

Commentators become more and more biased through years. Today no network has a single good one. Sky sucks the most though.

It is like the promotors and eventmanagerd have a say in it? Hmmm?

Agree, Ward is solid and sticks out.

[Best Coast]

I like Ward, Bradley & Tessitore on ESPN and Mauro Ranallo on Showtime!! Fox is OK but I dont care much for Brian Kenney.

[margaret thatcher]

When you beat a legend, you become a legend

[bobcatbox]

I like Ward, Bradley & Tessitore on ESPN and Mauro Ranallo on Showtime!! Fox is OK but I dont care much for Brian Kenney.

I do like Andre Ward. I don’t care much for Bradley’s commentating although I respect him as a fighter.

Chris Mannix on DAZN is okay, but I don’t enjoy Sergio Mora much as a the “fighter commentator.” I appreciate their camaraderie and friendship on-air.

I always enjoyed when Roy Jones would school Max Kellerman from time to time and then Max would still argue with Roy who’s a hall-of-famer.

I guess my main beef is the whole concept of bias. I hear it more on ESPN and FOX broadcasts than anywhere else.

I can be a real crab at times. Just ignore it lol.

[margaret thatcher]

Ward says Josh Taylor can't fight inside at all (that's where he's best lol) and picked Bellew over Usyk, admitting he really knew nothing about Usyk (but still somehow concluding that he was just hype). a lot of what he says it sounds like he hasnt actually watched up on the fighters

that is the top dude today ? well tbh i guess it could be, so many commentators are absolute sh!t, tbh a lot of boxers simply aren't that bright/eloquent (ward can at least put his words together coherently), plus add in the pressure for commentators to sell whoever the home/house fighter is. A lot of the commentary ends up starting with a narrative that is forced on the viewer and inflexibly kept that way no matter what ends up happening

That's why i'm watching a lot of fights on mute these days. Sometimes, unfortunetly rarely, there will be broadcasts with full fight noise but no commentary at all, and I love that. Also foreign commentary I can't understand is good. The Japanese and Mexicans are fun, they go wild with the screaming and I have no idea what they are saying, but it's some good entertainment

[lazboy]

Ward says Josh Taylor can't fight inside at all (that's where he's best lol) and picked Bellew over Usyk, admitting he really knew nothing about Usyk (but still somehow concluding that he was just hype). a lot of what he says it sounds like he hasnt actually watched up on the fighters

that is the top dude today ? well tbh i guess it could be, so many commentators are absolute sh!t, tbh a lot of boxers simply aren't that bright/eloquent (ward can at least put his words together coherently), plus add in the pressure for commentators to sell whoever the home/house fighter is. A lot of the commentary ends up starting with a narrative that is forced on the viewer and inflexibly kept that way no matter what ends up happening

That's why i'm watching a lot of fights on mute these days. Sometimes, unfortunetly rarely, there will be broadcasts with full fight noise but no commentary at all, and I love that. Also foreign commentary I can't understand is good. The Japanese and Mexicans are fun, they go wild with the screaming and I have no idea what they are saying, but it's some good entertainment

I’m not concerned what Ward thinks before the fight, I like how he calls the fight. He knows what he’s seeing in my opinion and keeps it ‘real’. That’s what I want as a commentator. A rd by rd commentary rather than a story of the fight or some other narrative. Just call the action with attention to detail.

Of course it helps that he’s boxed. Boxing may seem like a different sport to someone who’s never boxed or only done boxercise type things. Just look at street fights and how awkward they look, it’s not as easy to hit someone cleanly, even if you are super fit and strong.

[margaret thatcher]

I am surprised by how often he seems unwatched, even during the fight, for a guy who is known as some sort of boxing professor. Sometimes he just seems to be seeing another fight, like having Pedraza-Loma even going into the 11th. But he can put his words together decently at least and different interpretations are bound to happen. He's good for a boxer, most of whom suck on the mic, but I still get that longing for someone better, know what I'm saying.

For me better at the moment is some dude I can't understand or no one at all lol

Most broadcasts have at least 1 guy who has fought don't they

[Jeff_lacy_ko]

Paulie and tarver were great but gone
Al is solid and consistent
Merchant was always good for a laugh

Foreman was terrible. Ive watched a lot of old fights lately and he was total garbage

Roy is ok

Atlas would harp on some simile for 12 rounds

Ward is average. Bradley is always yelling

Blow by blow

Lampley is goat
Gus johnson amd mauro are trash
Steve albert was decent

Uk guys crack me up. I like their enthusiasm and homerism. Its endearing

[Jeff_lacy_ko]

Mark Kriegel sucked. Atlas putting him in his place was uncomfortable and hilarious but atlas was right

Dan goosen is poor. Lennox is horrendous. Sergio mora is ok. Brian kenny isnt very good. Tessitore is fine. Mannix scores fights decently

Probably forgot some

[margaret thatcher]

Lennox always talks super awkwardly , like he's uncomfortable doing it, like he's the type of guy who would try to talk to girl but just stutter over himself

I guess being 6'4 with a bbc would help with the ladies though

[margaret thatcher]

Wait, did our boi ry become bob?

[lazboy]

I am surprised by how often he seems unwatched, even during the fight, for a guy who is known as some sort of boxing professor. Sometimes he just seems to be seeing another fight, like having Pedraza-Loma even going into the 11th. But he can put his words together decently at least and different interpretations are bound to happen. He's good for a boxer, most of whom suck on the mic, but I still get that longing for someone better, know what I'm saying.

For me better at the moment is some dude I can't understand or no one at all lol

Most broadcasts have at least 1 guy who has fought don't they

Yea I know what you're saying. Some of those really bad commentators can ruin a fight. When I hear a terrible commentator, I automatically think a fix is in and worry that a Judge might be in on it.

Other than that, I can see from the comments there's not going to be a consensus and its merely a subjective experience. A good balance to me is a trio with one professional commentator. You know someone who just sounds good and has the gift of the gab, like 'Bang, Bang, Bang' Jim Lampley. You however must make sure these people only keep the conversation and don't stray from the superficial, as generally there's not much depth to their analysis (bang, bang, bang). Then it's good to have a fighter imo. Someone with attention to detail, who focuses on the actual fight.
Then maybe a researcher . Although it seems other people don't like him, I rate Larry Merchant. Although I contradict myself given he's not a fighter (I believe) he seriously knows/knew his boxing imo.

Anyway, there doesn't appear to be a current trio that fits that bill at this time and yes....listening to unintelligible Russian is most often...better.