BoxRec

Twinkle Toes wrote:He is ok on boxing, but was next to diabolical with the F1 as was the entire itv f1 package.

F1 is poopy doopy anyway, as superbike legend Carl Fogarty said last year "anyone can drive a car, if you're crap at racing bikes you race cars don't you"

G0mez wrote:I personally felt Duke was a dud and his moaning and negativity stole from the excitement he gave neither man any props, just nit picked the whole time.

I really wished his delivery was on a separate audio channel so i could have muted it. It gave Watt's commentary on Froch vs Magee a run for it's money, it was terrible in my book.

McCkenzie is a proper party pooper.

That said, Rosenthal was like velvet as usual and didn't try to colour the proceedings in any way, he was almost opaque throughout which in my opinion, allows the viewer to just take it all in without a sales pitch.

Duke could make Chavez v Taylor dull.

It's really nice to see Rosenthal given the praise he deserves here. What's pretty amazing to me is the universal praise he's received on this thread: I mean, we all have our own personal preferences, and commentators often engender wildly differing views: for instance, I really like Jim Watt as the co/colour commentator, but others here, I know, don't like him at all.

Rosenthal seems, though, to be universally liked, which I think is right. He really seems to know and like boxing, he's polished, and he brings an easy class and professionalism to any boxing broadcast. It's almost as if he's becoming the Reg Gutteridge of anchormen.

Meantime, I also like Larry Merchant, despite what a few have said here. He adds something completely different to a broadcast, with more cerebral, pointed, sparing comments, and it's good to have someone with a real grasp of the English language and boxing history on air, in my view.

I do not like Duke MacKenzie. He mangles so many of his sentences, and his so-called analysis rarely goes beyond what folks can actually see by watching it themselves. It's all cliche and banality, in my view.

Emanuel Steward and Al Bernstein are, I believe, the gold standard for colour commentary. I really like Jim Watt in Britain, too, but he's not up to Bernstein's or Steward's standards. McCrory is ok -- not as good as Watt but a million miles better than Duke.

We like a good moan here on Boxrec and I hope I am wrong, but I am I sure if Rosenthal was presenting weekly there would be criticism. Infact, I can remember it when boxing was on ITV people were saying Matt Smith was better.

Its a bit like Paul Dempsey - when he was presenting regularly there was a minority you used to criticise for saying "I've heard he hates the sport" etc - now he has gone I think he is universally (quite correctly) appreciated.

I disagree on Manny Steward - I think he talks sense, but he speaks too quietly and quickly. Jim Watt is the man, and I like Barry McGuigan also.

stujones wrote:We like a good moan here on Boxrec and I hope I am wrong, but I am I sure if Rosenthal was presenting weekly there would be criticism. Infact, I can remember it when boxing was on ITV people were saying Matt Smith was better.

Its a bit like Paul Dempsey - when he was presenting regularly there was a minority you used to criticise for saying "I've heard he hates the sport" etc - now he has gone I think he is universally (quite correctly) appreciated.

I disagree on Manny Steward - I think he talks sense, but he speaks too quietly and quickly. Jim Watt is the man, and I like Barry McGuigan also.

Well, I can well imagine a situation where Rosenthal presenting regularly would mean he made the odd mistake or offered the occasional opinion that folks on hear disagreed with, but I think that in general, he's more liked and respected than Dempsey, who I never particularly warmed to.

I guess we'll really have to differ on Steward, because I like his fast-talking street-loquaciousness, and I think he offers incredibly insightful analysis. A test for me is always whether a colour commentator is able to point out tactical and technical nuances on the fly that I miss, and he does.

I'm a fan of Duke,the last thing he is is boring and he is real insightful, knows how to read a fight

All i know is Jim Watt has to go, the guy is awful

I've always been a fan of him.
One of my favourite sport presenters.

stujones wrote:In fact, I can remember it when boxing was on ITV people were saying Matt Smith was better.

Rosenthal is a notch above Matt Smith.

And Adrian Chiles can only hope to be as popualr as Jim.

bennie wrote:Jim is the King. He goes back to World of Sport, and that doesn't make him old, it makes him a true master of his art.

Well said.....

Sure he was commentating for UK television the night Hearns knocked out Duran?

Got it on DVD somewhere, rings a bell.

Captain Hook wrote:

bennie wrote:Jim is the King. He goes back to World of Sport, and that doesn't make him old, it makes him a true master of his art.

Well said.....

Sure he was commentating for UK television the night Hearns knocked out Duran?

Got it on DVD somewhere, rings a bell.

And DOWN!!!!!!! - Yeah its him!

"OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH" (was his discription of the KO!!!) - That sums it up perfectly.

"He's going to the wrong corner, Duran doesn't know where he is"

I remember now, ta Stu...

I was at Holy V Lewis 1 and I met Arthur Mercnante and Jim walked by and (I was drunk) shouted out "jim JIM" he turned around ans smiled and a yank said to he "he buddy who's that?" I said "thats Jim Rosenthal UK Celebrity" ..Jim heard what I sad tunred around and gave me a big cheesy thumbs up, he seemdc genuinly pleased that his status had crossed the pond.

BTW I think he's a GREAT commentator.

stujones wrote:LM is a boxing institution, what is he - in his 80's. Off course he isn't what he was, but I am sure Banjo you have a respect for him based on him in his day. For a man of his age he still does really well, many people of his age cannot even remember their own name.

Adrian Chiles was slagging him off and US boxing commentary teams and clearly showed a clear lack of knowledge and respect for his work - and whats more was asking Richie Woodhall is opinion on LM - but in a closed question way "Aren't US boxing journalists crap, Richie?" - Woodhall ever the proffesional just didn't know what to say.

It wasn't even constructive - I remember hearing Ian Darke slagging off LM in a "off air" incident after DLH vs Sturm - whilst Larry was interviewing DLH - "For God's sake, ask him if he thought he won the fight" - at least that was constructive and it was a good point cause DLH's body language was quite revealing and Larry missed the
boat there. Chiles slagged him off without even saying what he did so wrong - "Aren't they rubbish".

larry merchant is old school and has always had a literary touch and the style of a quality newspaperman rather than a media journalist. he isnt perfect and darke who is another quality journalist made a fair point.

as for chiles for such a versatile and knowledgable presenter (has done it all from a highbrow politics show, football,apprentice, breakfast tv) he seems a guy let down on football coverage by being burdened with the idiotic marcel desaiilly having his african tongue up his arse all the time.

Glyn Leach wrote: No strained deliveries, no faux gravitas, no trite cliches....

So true, I caught a bit of Johnny Nelson and Adam Smith sitting side by side in the studio last week, and I couldn't watch more than 2 minutes - Nelson is painful to watch - put him ringside to commentate, if you absolutely HAVE to have him there.

And yes, Jim is pure class. I suppose you'd compare him to Des Lynham, an anchor man who pretty much just about everyone warms too.

It would be great if Jim was doing more boxing presenting/commentary nowadays.

Call it nostalgia if you want, but back in the glory days it was often the norm for the presenter to do the commentary also. Harry Carpenter, Reg, Jim Rosenthal and Des Lynam - would do the presenting, cut to a VT and then be in the commentators position. I still think there is a place for that, well its still common in the US!

I'm not going to say Jim Rosenthal is in Harry Carpenter's league for commentating - but I've always felt "safe" with Jim. Never felt he would do a howler, or just really annoy you - I cannot say I am comfortably with the million man Sky team currently.

I'd have the two Jim's on regularly - Rosenthal and Watt, Barry as a regular guest and Adam Smith on the interviews, maybe one guest slot then to discuss with Watt and McGuigan depending on the who is fighting - e.g. if its a Manchester boy, or a Light Middle - Jamie Moore, if its a cruiserweight - Johnny/Glen, Bantamweights - Spencer Oliver - etc.

stujones wrote:It would be great if Jim was doing more boxing presenting/commentary nowadays.

Call it nostalgia if you want, but back in the glory days it was often the norm for the presenter to do the commentary also. Harry Carpenter, Reg, Jim Rosenthal and Des Lynam - would do the presenting, cut to a VT and then be in the commentators position. I still think there is a place for that, well its still common in the US!

I'm not going to say Jim Rosenthal is in Harry Carpenter's league for commentating - but I've always felt "safe" with Jim. Never felt he would do a howler, or just really annoy you - I cannot say I am comfortably with the million man Sky team currently.

I'd have the two Jim's on regularly - Rosenthal and Watt, Barry as a regular guest and Adam Smith on the interviews, maybe one guest slot then to discuss with Watt and McGuigan depending on the who is fighting - e.g. if its a Manchester boy, or a Light Middle - Jamie Moore, if its a cruiserweight - Johnny/Glen, Bantamweights - Spencer Oliver - etc.

I think that's a brilliant idea, actually. Jim Lampley does a superb job in exactly that role for HBO.

I think that the team you envisage would be perfect, too. I'd struggle to disagree with it, frankly.

Carbo wrote:

stujones wrote:It would be great if Jim was doing more boxing presenting/commentary nowadays.

Call it nostalgia if you want, but back in the glory days it was often the norm for the presenter to do the commentary also. Harry Carpenter, Reg, Jim Rosenthal and Des Lynam - would do the presenting, cut to a VT and then be in the commentators position. I still think there is a place for that, well its still common in the US!

I'm not going to say Jim Rosenthal is in Harry Carpenter's league for commentating - but I've always felt "safe" with Jim. Never felt he would do a howler, or just really annoy you - I cannot say I am comfortably with the million man Sky team currently.

I'd have the two Jim's on regularly - Rosenthal and Watt, Barry as a regular guest and Adam Smith on the interviews, maybe one guest slot then to discuss with Watt and McGuigan depending on the who is fighting - e.g. if its a Manchester boy, or a Light Middle - Jamie Moore, if its a cruiserweight - Johnny/Glen, Bantamweights - Spencer Oliver - etc.

I think that's a brilliant idea, actually. Jim Lampley does a superb job in exactly that role for HBO.

I think that the team you envisage would be perfect, too. I'd struggle to disagree with it, frankly.

I remember Brian Kenny has done it a few times on ESPN when Joe Tessitore has not been available as well. Mind you I like the idea of presenter/commentator idea as well.

I used to like him introducing the show (you knew it was going to be a good one, he could never really contain himself) and his cheery - good night y'all at the end.

I love the cantankerous old drunk that is Larry Merchant, I think he and "Lamps" are biased as fuk but very entertaining.
Jim & Barry are great also, Adam smith's voice is ok but a bit overdramatic, Rawlins is ok but a bit understated, Jim Neilly sucks baws but I don't dislike any of them great for me to want to call for their sacking, that seems a tad egotistical to me and is an example of how this forum can be perceived to be cold by others, I come one here because Glynn Leach graces us with his presence (no I'm not joking) I think Glynn is the man, I love his well written no nascence talk in his mag, in short BM has no equal (well maybe BN but nothing else comes near) the USA mag 'The "brown" Ring' does what it says on the tin..pure shite.
Buncey (whom I also like) gets to carried away to the point of waffling unfunny irrelevant shite BUT his enthusiasm is second to none.

However Darkie is the man and will always be, NO ONE can read a fight like Ian Darke, his instincts for seeing things before they happen are second to none, when he is joyous I feel joyous, I loved his commentaries in the 90's "HUUUUGE chopping right hand" "It's over..it's over, Lennox Lewis has done it" some of the best nights of my life have in watching the telly!
Ian Darke I salute you my friend.

It might be full of assholes, liars cheats and whores (along with forums full of opinionated arsholes and more worrying..racist scum) but for pure drama NOTHING comes near it...thank god for boxing.