Steve Holsdworth used to be good, but in his last few years it sounded like he never seen a fight in several years. I remember him being stunned at Danny Williams fall from grace and he was still citing Mike Tyson and Dominic negus (in a non sanctioned fight) as reason to show “he still had it” this is when Danny hadn’t won in years!
I think Bob Mee used to really show him up at times… but in the early Eurosport commentary he was really good
Re: Adam Smith
Posted: 17 Jun 2024, 16:05
by SeanBrennan
stujones wrote: ↑17 Jun 2024, 14:26
Steve Holsdworth used to be good, but in his last few years it sounded like he never seen a fight in several years. I remember him being stunned at Danny Williams fall from grace and he was still citing Mike Tyson and Dominic negus (in a non sanctioned fight) as reason to show “he still had it” this is when Danny hadn’t won in years!
I think Bob Mee used to really show him up at times… but in the early Eurosport commentary he was really good
Did Steve Holdsworth used to do TV shows? I've not heard of him but that's likely my lack of knowledge and/or memory.
stujones wrote: ↑17 Jun 2024, 14:26
Steve Holsdworth used to be good, but in his last few years it sounded like he never seen a fight in several years. I remember him being stunned at Danny Williams fall from grace and he was still citing Mike Tyson and Dominic negus (in a non sanctioned fight) as reason to show “he still had it” this is when Danny hadn’t won in years!
I think Bob Mee used to really show him up at times… but in the early Eurosport commentary he was really good
Did Steve Holdsworth used to do TV shows? I've not heard of him but that's likely my lack of knowledge and/or memory.
Yes on Eurosport.
Re: Adam Smith
Posted: 18 Jun 2024, 05:43
by olij999
Coco wrote: ↑11 Jun 2024, 04:04
Steve Holdsworth never got taken on, on the bigger channels because he was too honest
Good bloke is Steve
He used to do pretty much everything but fight at some shows. I bought a VHS from him of Kirkland Laing fighting Dave Maj many years ago - there was a lovely bit when Steve was doing commentary for the tape, the fight had just finished, and Steve started filling a little as you could tell he was waiting for the MC to get into the ring to announce the result. Steve then evidently realises that he himself is the MC, utters a minor oath, puts the mike down, hot-foots it to the ring, and gives the announcement.
stujones wrote: ↑17 Jun 2024, 14:26
Steve Holsdworth used to be good, but in his last few years it sounded like he never seen a fight in several years. I remember him being stunned at Danny Williams fall from grace and he was still citing Mike Tyson and Dominic negus (in a non sanctioned fight) as reason to show “he still had it” this is when Danny hadn’t won in years!
I think Bob Mee used to really show him up at times… but in the early Eurosport commentary he was really good
Did Steve Holdsworth used to do TV shows? I've not heard of him but that's likely my lack of knowledge and/or memory.
Yes on Eurosport.
ah excellent I used to watch boxing at my mates on Eurosport as a kid, I remember there was loads of German boxing on back in the day.
ah excellent I used to watch boxing at my mates on Eurosport as a kid, I remember there was loads of German boxing on back in the day.
He was Screensport first before they merged. The Tuesday night boxing was brilliant. Naz had his first few fights on there.
did not know that re Naz. I remember watching on Yorkshire news him signing his pro contract in the House of Common as Ingle was mates with the local MP Richard Caborn iirc who was a massive genuine fight fan and Sports Minister in the Blair government.
SeanBrennan wrote: ↑18 Jun 2024, 15:33
ah excellent I used to watch boxing at my mates on Eurosport as a kid, I remember there was loads of German boxing on back in the day.
He was Screensport first before they merged. The Tuesday night boxing was brilliant. Naz had his first few fights on there.
did not know that re Naz. I remember watching on Yorkshire news him signing his pro contract in the House of Common as Ingle was mates with the local MP Richard Caborn iirc who was a massive genuine fight fan and Sports Manager in the Blair government.
Matchroom if I remember correctly.
Re: Adam Smith
Posted: 23 Jun 2024, 13:56
by magnus
Smith was doing the commentary for Bellator (an MMA organisation) on the show in Dublin last night. I thought he was actually quite decent, didn't feign knowledge of the sport and ensured that Dan Hardy explained the technical details. Still doing the growly voice on occasion mind.
Re: Adam Smith
Posted: 15 Apr 2025, 15:43
by leelee88
I don't mind him surprised how much hate he gets. he also worked in a food bank recovering yet someone from he's background could have really avoided that so I admire that
Re: Adam Smith
Posted: 15 Apr 2025, 15:52
by margaret thatcher
i dont have any personal dislike of him, he may well be a great bloke. i just find him to be an annoying cheerleading commentator too eager to dominant with a preconcieved narrative regardless of how the bout shapes up. still, he is better than the worst cheerleader there was, nick "OH THATS GOOD WORK (homefighter's name)" halling
Re: Adam Smith
Posted: 15 Apr 2025, 15:59
by leelee88
To be fair I probably don't notice that as much as other users. I think I just liked the passion but he obviously can say daft things like where he explained that Tony Bellews bomber didn't mean suicide bomber
Re: Adam Smith
Posted: 15 Apr 2025, 16:29
by dookus
leelee88 wrote: ↑15 Apr 2025, 15:59
To be fair I probably don't notice that as much as other users. I think I just liked the passion but he obviously can say daft things like where he explained that Tony Bellews bomber didn't mean suicide bomber
leelee88 wrote: ↑15 Apr 2025, 15:59
To be fair I probably don't notice that as much as other users. I think I just liked the passion but he obviously can say daft things like where he explained that Tony Bellews bomber didn't mean suicide bomber
One of boxing's most surreal TV moments
Pure Partridge
Re: Adam Smith
Posted: 15 Apr 2025, 22:35
by TheLeprechaun
I don't care about his personal life or anything like that. If you are doing a job you have to be judged on the merits of how good you are at doing that job. I have had to mute many a fight when I've had mates around because we all hate him. That means missing out on the atmosphere. A simple option of watching with no commentary would have solved the issue. In my opinion, he tried too hard to be like Ian Darke but just never had the charisma or ability. He's just awful on commentary in my book. I will always hold it against him because he's made a living and lived the high life off doing a job that he is p*ss poor at and has negatively affected the quality of boxing fights for me for DECADES now. Ed Robinson was one chap who had a go at commentating. I actually thought he was alright but he didn't seem to think he was great and he had the integrity to step down from it. I could be wrong on that but that's what I recall. At the end of the day it's a capitalist system and if you can earn money and live the high life doing a job that you are p*ss poor at, people are going to do it. Smith did it and continues to do it. I don't feel bad for having utter contempt for him for doing it though and I personally can't wait until he is gone from commentary for good.
Ian Darke has been the best British boxing commentator for many a year. If you want to talk about the difference in class and ability between Darke and Smith you are comparing Barcelona with Kidderminster Harriers. I have always wondered about what kind of money he was offered to leave vs what kind of money Adam Smith was on when he was coming on as the "A star" commentator for the main card fights. It was a job that belonged to Darke for me but perhaps it wasn't as good financially as what he was getting elsewhere. Does anyone know the ins and outs of why Darke left and Smith became head honcho and "A star" commentator? I have always had my suspicions. Any time you have someone who is absolutely p*ss poor at a job and continues to do it, you have to ask questions. Especially when they are being force fed to the public.
Re: Adam Smith
Posted: 16 Apr 2025, 02:04
by black panther
TheLeprechaun wrote: ↑15 Apr 2025, 22:35
I don't care about his personal life or anything like that. If you are doing a job you have to be judged on the merits of how good you are at doing that job. I have had to mute many a fight when I've had mates around because we all hate him. That means missing out on the atmosphere. A simple option of watching with no commentary would have solved the issue. In my opinion, he tried too hard to be like Ian Darke but just never had the charisma or ability. He's just awful on commentary in my book. I will always hold it against him because he's made a living and lived the high life off doing a job that he is p*ss poor at and has negatively affected the quality of boxing fights for me for DECADES now. Ed Robinson was one chap who had a go at commentating. I actually thought he was alright but he didn't seem to think he was great and he had the integrity to step down from it. I could be wrong on that but that's what I recall. At the end of the day it's a capitalist system and if you can earn money and live the high life doing a job that you are p*ss poor at, people are going to do it. Smith did it and continues to do it. I don't feel bad for having utter contempt for him for doing it though and I personally can't wait until he is gone from commentary for good.
Ian Darke has been the best British boxing commentator for many a year. If you want to talk about the difference in class and ability between Darke and Smith you are comparing Barcelona with Kidderminster Harriers. I have always wondered about what kind of money he was offered to leave vs what kind of money Adam Smith was on when he was coming on as the "A star" commentator for the main card fights. It was a job that belonged to Darke for me but perhaps it wasn't as good financially as what he was getting elsewhere. Does anyone know the ins and outs of why Darke left and Smith became head honcho and "A star" commentator? I have always had my suspicions. Any time you have someone who is absolutely p*ss poor at a job and continues to do it, you have to ask questions. Especially when they are being force fed to the public.
After Warren left sky there was a lot less boxing on Sky and some left to more football commentary.
Re: Adam Smith
Posted: 16 Apr 2025, 03:08
by maverick23
TheLeprechaun wrote: ↑15 Apr 2025, 22:35
I don't care about his personal life or anything like that. If you are doing a job you have to be judged on the merits of how good you are at doing that job. I have had to mute many a fight when I've had mates around because we all hate him. That means missing out on the atmosphere. A simple option of watching with no commentary would have solved the issue. In my opinion, he tried too hard to be like Ian Darke but just never had the charisma or ability. He's just awful on commentary in my book. I will always hold it against him because he's made a living and lived the high life off doing a job that he is p*ss poor at and has negatively affected the quality of boxing fights for me for DECADES now. Ed Robinson was one chap who had a go at commentating. I actually thought he was alright but he didn't seem to think he was great and he had the integrity to step down from it. I could be wrong on that but that's what I recall. At the end of the day it's a capitalist system and if you can earn money and live the high life doing a job that you are p*ss poor at, people are going to do it. Smith did it and continues to do it. I don't feel bad for having utter contempt for him for doing it though and I personally can't wait until he is gone from commentary for good.
Ian Darke has been the best British boxing commentator for many a year. If you want to talk about the difference in class and ability between Darke and Smith you are comparing Barcelona with Kidderminster Harriers. I have always wondered about what kind of money he was offered to leave vs what kind of money Adam Smith was on when he was coming on as the "A star" commentator for the main card fights. It was a job that belonged to Darke for me but perhaps it wasn't as good financially as what he was getting elsewhere. Does anyone know the ins and outs of why Darke left and Smith became head honcho and "A star" commentator? I have always had my suspicions. Any time you have someone who is absolutely p*ss poor at a job and continues to do it, you have to ask questions. Especially when they are being force fed to the public.
What are your suspicions re: Smith?
He wasn’t just a commentator for boxing. He presented Ringside too and was also partly responsible for the sport on Sky. This coincided, perhaps fortuitously for him, with a boom in U.K. boxing with frequent big PPVs and growth in people going to watch it.
I get people don’t like Smith as a commentator. It’s rare to get a commentator that is universally liked but I personally am a bit indifferent to Smith on comms. I don’t hate listening to him but I did prefer Darke.
Re: Adam Smith
Posted: 16 Apr 2025, 03:19
by joshj909
Smith doesn't give you a moment to enjoy what you're looking at. He talks continuously, very loudly, and doesn't say a whole lot relevant to the fight. I know there are slight differences but if he was commentating for the radio you wouldn't have a clue what's going on. He is incredibly biased to the point that it's frustrating. Additionally, for someone who's been in the business for a long time, he doesn't sound like it. It's understandable why people don't like him as a commentator.
TheLeprechaun wrote: ↑15 Apr 2025, 22:35
I don't care about his personal life or anything like that. If you are doing a job you have to be judged on the merits of how good you are at doing that job. I have had to mute many a fight when I've had mates around because we all hate him. That means missing out on the atmosphere. A simple option of watching with no commentary would have solved the issue. In my opinion, he tried too hard to be like Ian Darke but just never had the charisma or ability. He's just awful on commentary in my book. I will always hold it against him because he's made a living and lived the high life off doing a job that he is p*ss poor at and has negatively affected the quality of boxing fights for me for DECADES now. Ed Robinson was one chap who had a go at commentating. I actually thought he was alright but he didn't seem to think he was great and he had the integrity to step down from it. I could be wrong on that but that's what I recall. At the end of the day it's a capitalist system and if you can earn money and live the high life doing a job that you are p*ss poor at, people are going to do it. Smith did it and continues to do it. I don't feel bad for having utter contempt for him for doing it though and I personally can't wait until he is gone from commentary for good.
Ian Darke has been the best British boxing commentator for many a year. If you want to talk about the difference in class and ability between Darke and Smith you are comparing Barcelona with Kidderminster Harriers. I have always wondered about what kind of money he was offered to leave vs what kind of money Adam Smith was on when he was coming on as the "A star" commentator for the main card fights. It was a job that belonged to Darke for me but perhaps it wasn't as good financially as what he was getting elsewhere. Does anyone know the ins and outs of why Darke left and Smith became head honcho and "A star" commentator? I have always had my suspicions. Any time you have someone who is absolutely p*ss poor at a job and continues to do it, you have to ask questions. Especially when they are being force fed to the public.
What are your suspicions re: Smith?
He wasn’t just a commentator for boxing. He presented Ringside too and was also partly responsible for the sport on Sky. This coincided, perhaps fortuitously for him, with a boom in U.K. boxing with frequent big PPVs and growth in people going to watch it.
I get people don’t like Smith as a commentator. It’s rare to get a commentator that is universally liked but I personally am a bit indifferent to Smith on comms. I don’t hate listening to him but I did prefer Darke.
I was just speculating on how Darke left. I suspect Darke left of his own accord to get a bigger paycheque. I have wondered if he was forced out of the role though, perhaps given less work or overlooked? He was at that job for quite some time and seemed to enjoy it. He had the buzz for the fights, whether it was a small hall show or a Tyson fight in vegas. As far as Adam Smith goes, I remember he was sitting in the studio in the Paul Dempsey role and that was a role he was made for. I remember thinking he was quite good at talking about what happened with the pundits and getting their view. He is that type of guy. Paul Dempsey does the odd bit of football commentary and he's not bad at it. I think Smith should have stuck to the studio anchor role instead of the commentary role. I f*cking wish he had.
He was also moonlighting as the post fight interviewer when Darke was in command of the commentary. I remember him having a row with Wazza after he asked Ricky Hatton if he should "look at other options" if Wazza couldn't get him a big fight. Wazza intervened and gave Smith a mouthful. It was a minor version of that Radio Rahim vs Deontay Wilder moment. The point is there were other roles he could have done, rather than walking out with a swagger to be the "A star" commentator in the same way that Michael Buffer takes over MC duties for the big fights. Absolute plonker.
Re: Adam Smith
Posted: 16 Apr 2025, 06:40
by TheLeprechaun
That Wazza argument happened at the 1.08.22 mark of this video
Re: Adam Smith
Posted: 16 Apr 2025, 08:22
by nobleart1978
Sooner he retires the better, but saying that, they're all like it nowadays. Constant waffling. I watch boxkng with the sound off now. They even talk constantly on the snooker now. Terrible.
Re: Adam Smith
Posted: 19 Apr 2025, 18:14
by margaret thatcher
"Mathieu Germain can tell his grandkids he went 12 rounds with Dalton Smith"
grandpa, who the f@ck is dalton smith?
Re: Adam Smith
Posted: 19 Apr 2025, 18:25
by CaptainSpacerod
Re: Adam Smith
Posted: 20 Apr 2025, 04:40
by MightyWarrior
Oh come on guys, where’s the respect? Sugar Ray Leonard, Marvin Hagler, Roberto Duran, Dalton Smith
