BoxRec

The great Barry Davies used to say about commentating " don't state the bleeding obvious, only say something if it adds to the picture, and sometimes silence is golden".......

Smith fails abysmally on all these points as well as the more serious point which is "Jim Mcneily syndrome" which is to start talking about the fighters records and history round after round (things which have been dealt with in pre fight) while ignoring calling the action unfolding before you round after round. Mcneily was a master of this and ruined many a fight and Smiths commentary was guilty on all charges and pathetic and condescending. Matthew Mackin was trying to do his job and kept trying to get Smith to call the action.

His commentary ruined the fight. We kept getting his horrible forced delivery and lines like " that's a left from porter" when it was a right. "He breaks out into his smile" (oh really cant we see that).....

Worse last night confirmed that I was wrong to defend Smith on these pages. He clearly is a well connected Golders Green public school boy who fell into the head of boxing job at SKY when he clearly knows very little about the sport. He only has one form of marketing a fight ...ie to sell it as a grudge fight involving Neanderthals who hate each other just for the sake of it".....he tried to fall into those lazy clichés last night invoilving Thurman and porter, two well educated and classy guys, and it was left to Macklin to remind Smith.." this is a sport its never personal".

I hope he never commentates again and someone else can be bought in to run Sky Boxing. Paul Dempsey would be better than Smith and that shows how desperate the situation is

I can see where your coming from but i'll be honest ive been watching loads of classics from yesteryear and seeing as im not to clued up all on the old fighters,im always appreciative of little snippets of who they've fought,who they took the title from etc and pretty much all trivia,i like the action to be described too but not enough so it sways my decision,which i'll admit could be enough to decide who i plump with in very tight rounds(ive never claimed to be an expert )

But hands of stone he was doing this in the 8th round he actually went on a speech for 1:m 30 seconds of the 8th round ,About this stuff and ignored frenetic action going on in the fight. I can understand in the 1st round but throughout the 8th round?

The OP is right to an extent. I too am a fan of the great Barry Davies and others of his ilk but the world is a changed place. Commentators nowadays are expected to deliver a non stop babble and they rarely disappoint. Add to this the recent fashion in most sports for having multiple "summarizers" chirping in with their nonsense at regular intervals, stir in some unfunny unnecessary "banter" and your modern sports broadcast is a fuckin nightmare for the discerning viewer.

I can see how Smith's style and personality rub people up the wrong way but on balance I like him. I think he has a genuine love for boxing and his endless spouting of stats is just his enthusiasm for the game getting the better of him.

He's significantly better than Nick Halling.

GooalaShooola wrote:He's significantly better than Nick Halling.

I agree

Lol i like halling...he calls the fight in front of him

crusader wrote:

GooalaShooola wrote:He's significantly better than Nick Halling.

I agree

I prefer Steve Holdsworth myself.

Dixonian wrote:

crusader wrote:

GooalaShooola wrote:He's significantly better than Nick Halling.

I agree

I prefer Steve Holdsworth myself.

Here's a bit of classic Holdsworth commentating on Peter McNeilly v Henry Akinwande:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8AYZaosRWw

I love Adam Smith. I have his calendar in my kitchen. I can't wait til July because he's completely naked in a ring with a cigar sticking out his bum. Makes me moist just thinking about it. Roll on July

His grrrrroowwwwwwlllinggg seems to be getting more frequent.

As Stormzy said in my Femi piece - "Why you growling like a lion innit?"

I hate his voice, he sounds like Douglas Hurd with his piles caught in a vice.

reggaereggae wrote:His grrrrroowwwwwwlllinggg seems to be getting more frequent.

As Stormzy said in my Femi piece - "Why you growling like a lion innit?"

Its like Smith needs to growl to be more macho. Or maybe hes copying Glen mcrory who started the forced growling. Johhny nelson growls too but Smith Is the biggest growler

Do people actually like Adam Smith, as a person, not just on his commentary?

Dixonian wrote:

Dixonian wrote:

crusader wrote:
I agree

I prefer Steve Holdsworth myself.

Here's a bit of classic Holdsworth commentating on Peter McNeilly v Henry Akinwande:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8AYZaosRWw

whats happened to steve , remember him videoing fights

tedley wrote:

Dixonian wrote:

Dixonian wrote:
I prefer Steve Holdsworth myself.

Here's a bit of classic Holdsworth commentating on Peter McNeilly v Henry Akinwande:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8AYZaosRWw

whats happened to steve , remember him videoing fights

Not sure, I thought he still did Eurosport.

Steve holdsworth was a legend.....entertainment all on his own...neber annoyed me ,just added so much to the broadcast despite his often getting lower level shows....a total natural

He likes the word "crackling" too doesn't he?

He uses it to describe a lively atmosphere but when describing john wayne hibbert on saturday he said "and this guy is normally involved in crackling action".

I'm told he also uses it when he goes for a carvery with his mum when asked what part of the pork joint he would like.

I'm told he uses a forced growling tone to say it too.

chiggsy wrote:He likes the word "crackling" too doesn't he?

He uses it to describe a lively atmosphere but when describing john wayne hibbert on saturday he said "and this guy is normally involved in crackling action".

I'm told he also uses it when he goes for a carvery with his mum when asked what part of the pork joint he would like.

I'm told he uses a forced growling tone to say it too.

Adam Smith is Jewish, so he's unlikely to be ordering pork!

Smith should never have got the job in the first place. An absolute slap in the face to british boxing fans for 2 decades now. Got the job through WHO he/his family knew, rather than WHAT he knew i reckon. If he had any integrity whatsoever he would leave the presenting and commentating. He is abysmal at both. Perhaps there is a behind the scenes job he can do or something. This idiot tries to use too many ridiculous adjectives when speaking and displays extremely awkward/autistic body language whenever someone else is speaking. Joke.

reggaereggae wrote:

chiggsy wrote:He likes the word "crackling" too doesn't he?

He uses it to describe a lively atmosphere but when describing john wayne hibbert on saturday he said "and this guy is normally involved in crackling action".

I'm told he also uses it when he goes for a carvery with his mum when asked what part of the pork joint he would like.

I'm told he uses a forced growling tone to say it too.

Adam Smith is Jewish, so he's unlikely to be ordering pork!

Really?

Didn't know that

Well guess it's time to admit i was lying all along then

I dont know how many time we were told that thurman and porter are friends aswell. Just say what u see and forget about what they like for sunday lunch ffs. Best commentator imo is richie woodhall,he has been ther done that and i think he says what is going on or what fighters should be doing to counteract what is happening in a fight,he just commentates really

chiggsy wrote:

reggaereggae wrote:

chiggsy wrote:He likes the word "crackling" too doesn't he?

He uses it to describe a lively atmosphere but when describing john wayne hibbert on saturday he said "and this guy is normally involved in crackling action".

I'm told he also uses it when he goes for a carvery with his mum when asked what part of the pork joint he would like.

I'm told he uses a forced growling tone to say it too.

Adam Smith is Jewish, so he's unlikely to be ordering pork!

Really?

Didn't know that

Well guess it's time to admit i was lying all along then

i never knew he was jewish either, learn something new every day