Sky Sports Coverage

[ThereByTheGrace]

I feel that Sky Sports boxing pundits are (on the whole) weak and the programme could do with some new faces to freshen up the concept.

I'll have a breakdown of who's good and bad (and in the middle) and see what you think:

Adam Smith - Good - Very knowledgeable with regards to the UK scene in general - feel he adds good neutrality to fights and has done well to anchor the programme.

Jim Watt - Good - Again not afraid to put his hands up when wrong and adds good input - a good team him and Smith together.

Johnny Nelson - Good - A slick boxer who admires the skill and technical aspect of the game - I enjoy watching him get his points across.

Glenn McCrory - Bad - Glenn has been on the programme for far too long now - I don't think he adds any useful and meaningful input into fight - getting stale.

Nicky Piper - Bad - Another who is dull to watch - more personality in a plastic plant than in Piper.

Obviously there are a few on the periphery (Spencer Oliver - who is good aswell to be fair) However all in all I feel that new hosts in the studio to add more to the shows.

I don't know who'd suit though - Like or Loath Dunce the Bunce gets people arguing and talking and I think he wouldnt be too bad on Sky with all their big fights.

Also, I think Eubank/Hamed would be good once in a while aswell as people always enjoy listening to them.

What do you think? Who would you like to keep/add to the show?

Just like MOTD - I think Sky's coverage could be better than it is - through more meaningful debate on fights, the UK Scene and ones to watch from abroad.

[orbtastic]

Eubank cooked his goose with his "Mike Tyson is innocent" comments live on TV and subsequent explanation that Tyson did not rape her etc etc.

Easily the funniest thing I've ever seen on SKY fight nights, I've never seen Dempsey look so uncomfortable and flustered and ad break come on so quick while they bundled him out of the studio.

[dondada]

I actually like almost all the lads on Sky.

The problem is, as it seems to be with almost all the channel's output (certainly the football), is that it seems to be a sin to call a stinker just that.

I mean, look when Harty did a Roman Greenberg fight (though that was on Eurosport). He just said Greenberg wasn't much cop and was going nowhere...I think that was his last appearance, though I couldn't swear to it. Of course, he was right.

They're too keen to 'sell' the product rather than being straight up at times. Then again, I'm sure that's part of the role.

You miss out Ed Robinson, who is a good lad. Adam Smith is obviously passionate and gets far too much stick on here. Nicky 'The World's Most Intelligent Human Being' Piper isn't my cup of tea.

They could vary it up by getting some of the more articulate current pros in. I only saw a bit of Clev but he seemed OK. Barker got stick but he was fine, I thought. The likes of Matt Macklin and Smigga would be good value too.

[SAPFO]

Guest pundit boxer weekly, it will stop it going stale, and give the fans an insight into each boxer. Naz was a great idea, he will tell it straight too. Buncey keeps me in my seat, but he wouldn't not conform to Sky's policy of arse licking.

Regarding Nelson trying to get his point across. Did you see him waiting for Khan to shut up the other night? I thought he was going to fall of his seat he was moving that far forward.

[Rockys gum shield]

I thought Khan was ok as a guest on the Murray bill.

[leforge]

Does anyone remember the NICKY piper comments a out women boxing when it was shown on undercard! I sure he said something about mud wrestling lol

[banjo]

I think it needs changing, the standard of commentary is poor(which is the case in most sports coverage nowadays) there's just too much needless waffle and too much of repeating what they've said earlier. I'd actually prefer them to have just one commentator then he has to concentrate on the fight rather have a conversation with a co-commentator, I'd like them to get rid of Dave Clark and put somebody else in that position and rotate the studio analysts weekly so we don't have the same ones over and over and also occasionally bring in somebody other than a boxer, bring in a trainer or a journalist who actually specialises in boxing such as a writer from boxing magazine/website etc. and lets hear their opinion.

[SAPFO]

I'd get the Klits over to piss Haye off. No doubt they would come as they used to come to ITV. I think the problem here is they want to control the content of even the commentary & analysis.

[Rockys gum shield]

I'd get the Klits over to piss Haye off. No doubt they would come as they used to come to ITV. I think the problem here is they want to control the content of even the commentary & analysis.

Didn't Vitali come over for Haye vs Barrett ?

[SAPFO]

I'd get the Klits over to piss Haye off. No doubt they would come as they used to come to ITV. I think the problem here is they want to control the content of even the commentary & analysis.

Didn't Vitali come over for Haye vs Barrett ?

My memories shite mate, he may well have. That was a long time ago, he/his bro, is due another visit. Imagine it, Wlad comes with the contract, and reads it out live................."here Dafid Haye...who iz ze bitch no?"

[robster]

I'd get the Klits over to piss Haye off. No doubt they would come as they used to come to ITV. I think the problem here is they want to control the content of even the commentary & analysis.

Didn't Vitali come over for Haye vs Barrett ?

He did but it was on Setanta. I came across this on the Daily Mail Online last week. If this guy is the executive producer then surely he has the ultimate say over presenters, coverage which undercard fights they show etc. If he's gone there may well be some noticable changes.


Taken from Daily Mail Online:


"Chris Brown, one of the most influential figures in boxing as executive producer of the Sky Sports coverage, is understood to have been escorted out of their Isleworth HQ this week after being suspended from work during an investigation into his treatment of Sky's boxing staff.
Sky refused to comment while the disciplinary inquiry is going on.
Two members of the Sky team are understood to have complained about Brown after Sky's broadcast of the allegedly promotion last Saturday."

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/articl ... Under.html


I liked ITV and Setanta's coverage, starting with 2 or 3 undercard fights live and building to the main event. I watched Barry McGuigan's promotion (Setanta Ireland) last week on the Premier channel, it was good. A couple of undercard fights, then into the main event (Frampton) and they even squeezed in a four rounder when the main fight went early. No studio waffle, a bit of ringside analysis with Paul Dempsey & Duke McKenzie and commentry from a couple of Irish blokes who were ok.

[Bennyblanco]

Get naz on there!

[ra2006]

Get Gary Mason back!!!

[bennie]

Sky Sports is reporting that former British super-bantamweight champion Matthew Marsh has been forced to retire in the wake of a car crash which injured his back and his neck, and that Welshman Jamie Arthur takes his place in a shot at the Commonwealth title next month against unbeaten Scot Kris Hughes.
If true, it lands as a devastating blow on 28-year-old Matthew, a throwback performer from West Ham who gave his greatest performance in what turned out to be his last fight against Jason Booth earlier this year. Marsh was a huge underdog but he floored and busted up the world class Booth in his own hometown of Nottingham, before a bad cut over his right eye brought about the end in the 11th round. Said the ever-honest Booth afterwards: "I thought he was in front when it was stopped."
Marsh, with just 15 fights on his ledger and with plenty still to offer, lost only to Booth and to the much bigger and then unbeaten "Dirty" Derry Matthews in an ambitious match three years ago, also in 11 rounds. He proved against Booth, and when he won the British title in an upset against Esham Pickering in 2008, that he was a dangerous animal backed to the wall, a fighter very much in the mould of Terry Downes, wiry yet deceptively strong, aggressive yet deceptively clever, cut-prone yet totally unflappable.
They said Marsh couldn’t bang but he rocked Pickering several times on the way to a clear decision at York Hall. He retained the belt in the third of three distance thrillers with Thetford’s gutsy Rocky Dean, also at York Hall, which Matthew made a fortress for himself, roared on by loyal support. Marsh was a championship fighter, a former double ABA champion who represented England in the 2002 Commonwealth Games and adapted well to the pro game when he turned over in 2004, setting a ferocious pace in his contests and maintaining it. His first battle with Dean, at the ExCel Arena in London in 2006 was a throwback to the days of Shoreditch Town Hall - blood and snot everywhere - as both men went at it non-stop for the Southern Area title. Marsh took the 10-round decision and amazingly, without a loosener, went in again with Dean a fight later and took another 10-round decision.
By this time, Marsh was boxing more and hitting harder but grit, stamina, strength, workrate and a great chin were still his major assets, and only weight problems forced him to relinquish the Lonsdale Belt last year, although he came back with fine wins over Josh Wale and Marc Callaghan, prior to the immense showing against Booth in an attempt to win back the British title.
Marsh looked a big favourite to get back on track in that shot at the vacant Commonwealth super-bantamweight title next month in London against the inexperienced Hughes. It wasn’t to be. Marsh was hurt in the summer, and must have broken down in training.
Life is the biggest left-hooker of all.

[oliverfennell]

Get Gary Mason back!!!

[bigdaddy]

Get rid of Glenn McCrory and Jim Watt well past it same old shitss when speak

[Newport Daz]

I liked John Thaxton when he was on ITV and Barry Mcguigan was good. I remember Brian Magee being a guest pundit when Froch fought Dale Westerman, I liked his style of delivery. Talking of Froch, he'd also be good. Alex Arthur and Micheal Gomez are good talkers too.

Would chop Nicky Piper and Glen Mcrory. Considering he was the most boring fighter I ever watched, Johnny Nelson is good behind the mic.

[ourkid1984]

I'm sorry people but Nicky Piper needs to stay! He looks like an over sized lego man and cracks me up everytime plus my missus prefers Sky Sports because she can never get over that Nicky Piper was ever a boxer.

Glen McCory can go though he is boring and seems way out of touch.

I always liked ITV's coverage and liked Setanta's but gotta say I'm not a fan of Buncey, it's just annoying to me.

[orbtastic]

The problem seems to be that they have a huge agenda going all the time. They're only really interested in in-house fighters - So are more than happy to get Khan in, no matter how witless he is, as they will [more than likely] be showing his upcoming fights. His last fight was ITV but I think they've ditched boxing fully now and the old SKY PPV contract was with FW, not Khan.

Haye's the same, it's just all a low level SKY sell job when he's doing commentary. That said, he refused to play ball at the M7 evening.

[stujones]

Yes, I think its more to do with the Sky agenda as opposed to the people. Personally, I think they have some of the most articulate ex fighters around. I think they are all pretty good in their ways. I even think Piper isn't so bad, where he excells is in the big marathon bills in a studio - he'll often disagree with the panel somewhat there (e.g. his views on Women's boxing).

He has dones some presenting work before for Sky and on BBC Wales - he aint bad at it.

Glen McCory has his favourites (not sure I've ever seen him back against Barrera) and he gets quite passionate in fights involving these (Mike Tyson was another) -he can be repetative at times.

I think its important, and Sky obviously have to consider this, that being able to build up his own fights doesn't necessarily mean a good analyser of fights. I've cringed every time I've seen Hamed post retirement he doesn't "look" the part and he doesn't have the greatest vocab variety in the world - got the over use of the word "what" (which means "that") and it will be things like that Sky will be looking for. Plus he tipped Kell Brook to beat Pacquiao - so not sure if he will be able to put biasness aside for some reasonable debate.

Michael Gomez is too nasally these days, he's had a stap of it at Channel M, and I found him to be low on enthusiasm (which is a surprise). I have the feeling Alex Arthur will be the same. I feel Froch would be too monotone also.

I think the sky team is fine in its current format. Would like to see more use of Spencer Oliver, like to see him as a play by play man. I wouldn't mind seeing Glenn McCory maybe get training into the Ian Darke roll - the BBC do this all the time - Eddie Butler used to be an analyser, as was John Virgo - now main commentators..... Sky need to use as much as Jim Watt as possible he is just outstanding.

[orbtastic]

Glen seems so flat these days.

Nelson seems the only one that's got any genuine enthusiasm for the whole thing, it shows too.

Something's gone on with Piper, he definitely seems out of favour. Maybe it's like you say, when he does get off the fence he seems to disagree with them all so much he seems so out of step.

[deadpan]

Paul Hawksbee knows his boxing. He's a good interviewer and he's funny. He'd be a great anchor.

I miss Mason too.

[bad mamma jamma]

i think its stupid when they show clips of the undercard fights before they actually show them..ok so first round one punch KO then?

[Autobarn]

I actually like almost all the lads on Sky.

The problem is, as it seems to be with almost all the channel's output (certainly the football), is that it seems to be a sin to call a stinker just that.

I mean, look when Harty did a Roman Greenberg fight (though that was on Eurosport). He just said Greenberg wasn't much cop and was going nowhere...I think that was his last appearance, though I couldn't swear to it. Of course, he was right.

They're too keen to 'sell' the product rather than being straight up at times. Then again, I'm sure that's part of the role.

You miss out Ed Robinson, who is a good lad. Adam Smith is obviously passionate and gets far too much stick on here. Nicky 'The World's Most Intelligent Human Being' Piper isn't my cup of tea.

They could vary it up by getting some of the more articulate current pros in. I only saw a bit of Clev but he seemed OK. Barker got stick but he was fine, I thought. The likes of Matt Macklin and Smigga would be good value too.

you're forgetting khan, the most articulate of all pros.

i agree with you, the sky team have had a different approach the last couple of years and are selling a positive image which comes across as insincere.

i loved it when enzo mac was defending a WBU title. darkie: "what's all this about?..." and "but he's calling himself a world champion!"

good old days.

[Autobarn]

Paul Hawksbee knows his boxing. He's a good interviewer and he's funny. He'd be a great anchor.

I miss Mason too.

didn't they get rid of him when he asked, "where's my effing tie?" live.