Who would be your ideal commentary and production team?

[joshj909]

Listening to Adam Smith tonight made me think. We all know who we don't like on the mic, but who do we all like? So, who would be your ideal entire production team of those that are active today or recently?

Commentator
2 co-comms
Presenter
Interviewer
Ring announcer

[Riddick Bowie]

Ian Darke
Gary Mason

Presenting & interviewing: Paul Dempsey

Pundits in the studio NOT shouting over the blaring music like pissheads:

Jim Watt
Barry McGuigan
Nicky Piper

Ring announcer: No Nonsense Chuck Hull

[stujones]

Commentary
Ian Darke and Jim Watt.

Studio Pundits
Barry McGuigan
Glenn McCory
Barry Jones

Presenter
Paul Dempsey.

Interviews
Ian Darke.

Ring Announcer
World Level - Jimmy Lennon Jnr.

Although was tempted to just say - to go USA - and mainly with the HBO team.

Presenter.
Jim Lampley and Larry Merchant.

Commentators
Tim Ryan, Gill Clancy and Marvin Hagler / Sugar Ray Leonard

Interviewer
Larry Merchant

[JC]

I don’t have a full line up (obviously agree with everyone on Darke)

But I love watching old US fights with Gil Clancy usually alongside Tim Ryan or later Jim Lampley.

Also, there is a broadcast of Toney McCallum 1 with Marvin Hagler alongside Barry Tompkins (I believe the other guy’s name is) Only fight I’ve ever heard Hagler do commentary on but they are great,

[Riddick Bowie]

I don’t have a full line up (obviously agree with everyone on Darke)

But I love watching old US fights with Gil Clancy usually alongside Tim Ryan or later Jim Lampley.

Also, there is a broadcast of Toney McCallum 1 with Marvin Hagler alongside Barry Tompkins (I believe the other guy’s name is) Only fight I’ve ever heard Hagler do commentary on but they are great,

Hagler commentates on Leonard/Hearns 2 and Leonard/Duran 3 AND -- bizarrely -- Rahman/Lewis in South Africa on BBC1 but he'd slipped into amiable old man mode by that point.

[Riddick Bowie]

The 1990s were great.

Showtime had Steve Albert, Ferdie Pacheco and Bobby Czyz. Great voices, all charismatic, could convey high drama, brought a certain grandeur to an event.

HBO had Jim Lampley, Larry Merchant and various colour commentators, Leonard, Foreman, Jones. Have to say I was less of a fan of HBO productions, Lampley had verbal diarrhea and they were the first to introduce the shilling of (house) fighters, now the norm, but they were better than anything we have today.

Ian Darke with Glenn, Gary Mason or Jim Watt were glory days over here. Glenn didn't bring much to the table but Ian's genius for commentary carried him.

The guy who presents DAZN now has no charisma. He's just a fan and way too casual. He can't convey magnitude, doesn't bring any grandeur to events. This is something you either have or you haven't. Howard Cossell while aligned and imperfect brought serious GRANDEUR to an event. Listen to him prior to Ali/Spinks 2 as he gives the run down of Ali's career and you'll be on your feet itching to fight someone!

[MightyWarrior]

I like all the above, any combination

Darke was excellent

recently I was surprised to find Darren Fletcher from football was pretty good, but my standards are low the way things are with commentary in the UK these last 10 years. I’ve been listening to Croatian and Polish comm all night and thank god for that, i don’t have to keep turning the commentary down.

Darke Glen and Watt would be great

[gilgamesh]

Jim Lampley, Larry Merchant I liked 'em best when they were paired with Emanuel Steward or George Foreman

Gil Clancy and Tim Ryan always make a great combo on the Classic broadcasts too.

As far as Television Production. Highlight reels. Dramatic Video packages, and lots of Bells and Whistles to draw you into the fight, and make it seem like such a big deal. HBO is 2nd to none in that regard. You can watch many of their old Broadcasts in their entirety and see what I mean.

I don't know the name of the Directors and Producers that were behind all of that stuff, but they were as good a Televised Sports Production team as I've seen cover any sport.

[Riddick Bowie]

I forgot about Manny Steward. He had great presence, charisma and insight on commentary.

Telling that no one so far gives a toss about Adam Smith, Barry Jones, Darren Barker, Anna Woolhouse and whoever the presenter is.

[coneye]

ANYONE BUT SMITH ... I,m actually watching the ring walk has I write with headphones on playing America's greatest hits if i had to listen to him I,d just turn off

[Riddick Bowie]

The DAZN team excelled themselves tonight with the propaganda. No one will fondly remember this team.

[joshj909]

The DAZN team excelled themselves tonight with the propaganda. No one will fondly remember this team.

I am glad when I find a DAZN US stream for UK fights. They are generally less biased towards British boxers (just as biased towards Americans though) and some of them are bonified haters which is more entertaining than the filthy things that Adam Smith admits to when he watches British boxers.

[JC]

I just watched Itauma Hrg this morning. Streamed from my phone to the tv and for some reason it had sound but not commentary. It was glorious.

[stujones]

I won't forget when Eddie had to make this big announcement for the Dazn commentary / presenting team - "best in the business" - most now gone.

Mike Costello just sadly didn't translate to TV - he wasn't bad, but John Rawling also is better on radio than TV.

Maya Jama was purely eye candy - world class eye candy admittedly - but it was pretty hillarious when she was presenting, she just looked bored.

So whilst criticised, I would say Dazn have made some improvements over their early days.

Al Bernstein worthy of a mention.

When you think of the slick HBO production - their less is more approach was usually crucial - Jim / Larry were the presenters as well as commentators. As was Barry Tompkins. Al Bernstein would be the same, as would Steve Farhood (another excellent commentator / pundit).

Realistically for me there has never been anyone remotely close to touch Jim Watt - no matter who he is with - Reg, Ian, Nick Halling, Adam Smith - he just made nights. Get him to do punditary and commentating.

[Boxerbeetle]

The DAZN team excelled themselves tonight with the propaganda. No one will fondly remember this team.

They really are fvcking terrible, Barry Jones excepted. I honestly don’t know how it’s humanly possible to watch as much boxing from ringside as Adam Smith has been miraculously blessed to observe, and still not know how to read a fight at the most basic level.

[forcefraser]

After the event last night, having sampled the three options vailable to me (English, Polish and Croatian) I'd have to conclude that the Croatian team were the superior commentary outfit

When growling Smith made his Vianello tennis family comment, I left in disgust and switched to the Polish commentary. This was fine for a while but I thought I heard them apologising for the language in the corner during the Ursu/Vaughan. Can't be sure as I can't speak a word of Polish.

This however sent me over to the Croatian commentary where I stayed for the rest of the night. It was pleasant, relaxed and non intrusive. There was no screaming, no voice cracking, no take off for AJ.

It's unlikely to be an option for most fights, it will have only been there due to Hrgovic fighting. Maybe it's a good thing, as once up there it's there to be shot at. I'm happy for it to be just a one dip and end it occurrence, a glorious moment where the stars aligned and the world was at peace. No longer diagonally parked in a horizontal commentary universe, blissfully unaware of their existence and the fight in front of me doing the talking

[Coco]

Darke with Watt/McCrory/ McKenzie
Rosenthal in the studio, Paul Smith alongside.

I'm a bit anti women, but the blonde lass did a good job last night in the ring

[NazNaci1]

Clancey and Bernstein or Rosenthal (or Gutteridge) and Watt, either combo calling it.

Paul Dempsey would be fine in the studio (or maybe Rosenthal)

Lampley and Adam Smith need to be nowhere near as both are as bad as each other.

Yeah, that Anna from last night, she is ok but you can tell she is more of an all-rounder presenter, rather than a boxing presenter.

[mrbassie]

Any and all beholden to their vow of silence.

[TheLeprechaun]

Commentators: Darke and McCrory

Anchor
Paul Dempsey

Pundits
Jim Watt
Barry McGuigan
Nicky Piper

We didn't know how good we had it.

[TheLeprechaun]

I also loved watching the HBO broadcast the next day for big fights in America.

Commentators:
Lampley
Merchant
Kellerman

Interviewer:
Merchant

If one of them is sick or otherwise engaged, I would have Clancy or Foreman.

Lampley and Jim Watt would have been a fascinating duo

[mrbassie]

Any and all beholden to their vow of silence.

fornicating hell it's weird logging into this site these days. What's all this gmaill googly bollocks about?
No wonder.

Anyway, I wanted to do an edit but apparently that's racist/verboten/whatever.


Anyway. Ian Darke and co we're alright.


EDIT:

Let me rethink that. Ian "wasn't it?" or "Isnt it" or "ISn't he" or whatever Darke and Glenn "yes you're right Ian" Mccrory were much less shite than the current crop. Nonetheless. it was still crap.
It's amazing watching the fotc dvd with no commentary at all!
Or indeed stabbing your ear "drums" with knitting kneedles.



Anyay, good on the ref, he did precisely the opposite of what he was hired to do and redeemed himself (for the moment).
I will iron he left sock if I'm suitably compensated. End communication.

[mrbassie]

we can't say fornicate anymore?

[Ruthless-RKO]

we can't say fornicate anymore?

Been like that for a while. When was you last here?

[SeanBrennan]

Ian Dark, Jim Watt and Buncey