BoxRec

What do you think of Sky Sports Boxing Team?

Is Adam Smith missed?

Who is running the Team, now Adam has departed?

What are they getting right & wrong

I think its time to make some changes…

Regardless of what people think of adams presentation skills he wasnt afraid to voice his opinions. Again, who the man fronting the team now?

What changes if any would you make?

I'v heard two stories about Adam Smith now..

One of them says he has the C..

the other one says he was let go or taking time out due to betting..

Either way, he's being missed.

Not missed by many. He ruined fights with his growling horrific commentary and general conduct. It's better without him doing that. I wouldn't mind him in the background but my word he was the worst commentator of all time.

Ruthless-RKO wrote: ↑19 Jun 2023, 05:10
Either way, he's being missed.

I 100% agree Adam is being missed. I hope and pray he ok.

The 1 thing I hope Sky get right is quality control.

A fight might be ok for a fighter’s career but not for top of the bill.

In this world of tv promoters being supposedly highly competitive, Sky need to put their foot down. And not accept anything.

Hopefully Smith is doing ok away from boxing....and hopefully that means he will never be involved with boxing at any level every again. Ruined boxing on Skysports IMO and was a very unwelcome presence & influence in British boxing.

Firstly, I hope Adam Smith is doing well and, if he has been ill, makes a full and complete recovery.

Secondly, he is missed. I think he is a bright spark, very measured and thoughtful and approachable in interviews, and incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about boxing.

big lennox wrote: ↑19 Jun 2023, 11:15 Firstly, I hope Adam Smith is doing well and, if he has been ill, makes a full and complete recovery.

Secondly, he is missed. I think he is a bright spark, very measured and thoughtful and approachable in interviews, and incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about boxing.

I have to agree.

Adam Smith is missed, no doubt.

Albeit not on commentary, where he had no place in being when he was responsible for the product.

I don't know what he does behind the camera but things have def improved since he's gone

One of Adams jobs was quality control, accepting & declining fights.

Who dos that job now?

Smith wasn't my cup of tea as a commentator but he seemed to be well liked and respected by boxing folk (Naseem aside) and the marginalisation of him and Ed Robinson has led us to where we are now - dumbed down coverage aimed squarely at casuals. Nout wrong with casuals of course but the assumption by Sky that casuals want to be served a diet of overhyped starlets knocking over tincans accompanied by hysterical predictions of future glory by grinning cheerleaders is insulting and patronising to new fans of boxing.

Andy Clarke is the only member of the team worth his salt and he's surely too serious and accomplished a performer to last long amongst the cheerleaders and dafties who make up the rest of the team.

How things change.

2 years ago it was rare to find a good word about Smith on here. He was the devil incarnate.

Frostieballs wrote: ↑20 Jun 2023, 02:09 How things change.

2 years ago it was rare to find a good word about Smith on here. He was the devil incarnate.

I think most of the Adam’s criticisms came from commentating.

As people the sky team are a great bunch …

But boxing doesn’t do nice … my problem is their quality control I will ask again - who is in charge and I also ask is it time for some changes?

Spud wrote: ↑20 Jun 2023, 03:29

Frostieballs wrote: ↑20 Jun 2023, 02:09 How things change.

2 years ago it was rare to find a good word about Smith on here. He was the devil incarnate.

I think most of the Adam’s criticisms came from commentating.

Yeh, you're right.. It was mostly his commentary.

He was passionate though.

Man’s a complete tit and hope we never see him
again, all those cheerleading suited and booted company yes men he brought to our screens, terrible commenters and nothing but cheerleaders for the sky corporate brand, with Smith leading the way.

Quality control was rubbish too, just look at the endless showpiece box office events involving Parker chisora and Whyte he approved. Absolute garbage.

A hopeless boneheaded goon who snuck in the back door ( getting rid of the best comms in the business to put himself there instead ) and ruined British boxing for decades.

I can only wish him a speedy return, to the darts.

Spud wrote: ↑19 Jun 2023, 11:27

big lennox wrote: ↑19 Jun 2023, 11:15 Firstly, I hope Adam Smith is doing well and, if he has been ill, makes a full and complete recovery.

Secondly, he is missed. I think he is a bright spark, very measured and thoughtful and approachable in interviews, and incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about boxing.

I have to agree.

me too - and since he isnt around things just seem a tad chaotic and incohesive

I am told Ed Robinson still works behind the scenes …

What does he do?

I remember meeting him for the first time working on Tyson v Francis

MightyWarrior wrote: ↑20 Jun 2023, 06:43 Man’s a complete tit and hope we never see him
again, all those cheerleading suited and booted company yes men he brought to our screens, terrible commenters and nothing but cheerleaders for the sky corporate brand, with Smith leading the way.

Quality control was rubbish too, just look at the endless showpiece box office events involving Parker chisora and Whyte he approved. Absolute garbage.

A hopeless boneheaded goon who snuck in the back door ( getting rid of the best comms in the business to put himself there instead ) and ruined British boxing for decades.

I can only wish him a speedy return, to the darts.

MightyWarrior wrote: ↑20 Jun 2023, 06:43 Man’s a complete tit and hope we never see him
again, all those cheerleading suited and booted company yes men he brought to our screens, terrible commenters and nothing but cheerleaders for the sky corporate brand, with Smith leading the way.

Quality control was rubbish too, just look at the endless showpiece box office events involving Parker chisora and Whyte he approved. Absolute garbage.

A hopeless boneheaded goon who snuck in the back door ( getting rid of the best comms in the business to put himself there instead ) and ruined British boxing for decades.

I can only wish him a speedy return, to the darts.

One of your best posts on here.

An apt metaphor said on WWF wrestling once, "He's like that one nugget you can't get rid of when you flush the toilet"

That nugget is gone. Thank God.

Ruthless-RKO wrote: ↑20 Jun 2023, 03:33

Spud wrote: ↑20 Jun 2023, 03:29

Frostieballs wrote: ↑20 Jun 2023, 02:09 How things change.

2 years ago it was rare to find a good word about Smith on here. He was the devil incarnate.

I think most of the Adam’s criticisms came from commentating.

Yeh, you're right.. It was mostly his commentary.

He was passionate though.

Maybe it was, but I don’t remember anyone at the time saying - ah yes, but what about his quality control.

It was just criticism.

Yes quality control is so important. I am sure I read of multiple instances where HBO and Showtime rejected fights. It never seemed to be the same level of quality control at Sky.
( ps damn shame HBO cut boxing!)

Ruthless-RKO wrote: ↑19 Jun 2023, 05:10 I'v heard two stories about Adam Smith now..

One of them says he has the C..

Yes I read this the other day posted by a former pro, hopefully not true

For me the first 6 months of U.K. boxing on Sky Sports has been the worst opening 6 months to a year on Sky that I can remember. Very few fights that I’ve been really keen to watch. Not many shows and not particularly high quality.

I don’t miss Adam Smith as a commentator (although I didn’t particularly dislike him either) but I think the quality control aspect of his role was under appreciated. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the shows have overall been worse since he went missing.

Don't think it would matter who was in the team if the fights were good but they have been pretty awful lately. The likes of Price and Artingsall are channel changers and the so called superstars in Okolie and Buatsi have been duds