Poor commentating?

boxerrob2005 · Post by **boxerrob2005** » 06 Nov 2005, 05:43

Did anyone else think last night commentating of the harrison fight was way off? Mckenzie seemed to completely ignore Husseins jabbing the whole fight and hardly recognized anything he did. Still thought Harrison deserved to win but the way they were describing the fight at most points seemed as if it was a walkover for harrison which it wasnt.

Cannibal · Post by **Cannibal** » 06 Nov 2005, 07:58

I think McKenzie has a habit of scoring too many round even on his scorecard. I could easily pick a winner for each round in that fight and he had about 3 or 4 rounds as a 10-10

Lefthookhappy19 · Post by **Lefthookhappy19** » 06 Nov 2005, 10:51

Yeah that commentary was bullshit. From about the 6th round on all they said was "Harrison is a mile ahead", when theirs no fornicating way he was. They made out that this was an easy fight, ive never seen Scott rocked as much as that in a fight and his relief was clear when it was over. Easy fight my arse...

steve689 · Post by **steve689** » 06 Nov 2005, 11:16

I was glad someone made this point, i felt the same way..."Hussein is looking for that lucky punch" or "Hussein is desperately tired and a mile behind on points".

Complete bollocks, Hussein was always in the fight if you ask me, McKenzie should be fired he was making it out like a landslide, these commentators are there to help the viewer decode the action (for want of a better explanation) how misleading to the casual viewer to hear commentary like that? McKenzie and Rawling weren't objective they were just plainly kissing arse. Disgraceful.

stujones · Post by **stujones** » 06 Nov 2005, 12:06

Yes, both John Rawling and Duke McKenzie were to blame, especially Duke. There was one time (think it might have been the 8th) when Hussein jabbed Harrison's head off for 20 seconds and McKenzie said (straight after) Hussein is tired and doing nothing.

They should have acknowledge that some of the rounds were hard to score (which they were) and when Barry had Harrison 4 up with 4 to play, someone could have said well some people intrupretation of the contest might mean that Hussein is in this still.

Had Harrison not floored Hussein, I would have scored it a draw and giving most of the closish rounds to Harrison.

boxerrob2005 · Post by **boxerrob2005** » 06 Nov 2005, 12:30

glad you guys agree with me. for any casual fans who maybe getting into the sport they would of thought harrison was in complete control. Complete crap.

dandantheweatherman · Post by **dandantheweatherman** » 06 Nov 2005, 12:33

I turned the sound off to be honest. Rawling and Mckenzie, like Adam Smith come to think of it, are nice enough blokes and sound OK, but they come out with too much nonsense. I sometimes wonder if their producers tell them to keep yapping and that no silence is acceptable on air.

To my mind Jim Watt and Johnny Nelson talk far more sense, and I'd rather have them.

boxerbob · Post by **boxerbob** » 06 Nov 2005, 16:08

i watched this fight with the sound turned down as i was at a family party but i thought the judges got the fight correct , harrison was a clear winner by 4-5 rounds

split_decision · Post by **split_decision** » 06 Nov 2005, 16:42

Duke has come out with a few classics in recent matches.

"It's got the fans on the seat of their chair" (At Jennings vs Pryce)

And last night, what a corker.

"Scott has been hitting Hussein everywhere, from head to toe" Just as Scott ripped through his 34th low blow of the round. Hilarious.

tonyevs · Post by **tonyevs** » 06 Nov 2005, 17:09

I think Duke tries too hard to be nice about the house fighter, so his view is almost always rubbish..I`d rather have someone on there who`ll shake it up a bit.....how about Steve Bunce?...he may still goof like Duke does but he`ll annoy in a good way...and I think he has learnt his lesson after he embarassed himself in the early days with Audley to tell us what we know.

I have written before how much Barry McGuigan has grown on me since his move to ITV, he now attemps to tell it more as it is, rather than what his pay master wants to hear.

John Rawlings is decent enough, though a little posh sounding and lacking enthusiasm in his commentating, but he does know his stuff.

Bring back Bunce

KO Artist · Post by **KO Artist** » 06 Nov 2005, 17:21

steve689 wrote:I was glad someone made this point, i felt the same way..."Hussein is looking for that lucky punch" or "Hussein is desperately tired and a mile behind on points".

Complete bollocks, Hussein was always in the fight if you ask me, McKenzie should be fired he was making it out like a landslide, these commentators are there to help the viewer decode the action (for want of a better explanation) how misleading to the casual viewer to hear commentary like that? McKenzie and Rawling weren't objective they were just plainly kissing arse. Disgraceful.

.

Hussien was shit, Harrison wasnt a great deal better.

Duke is a decent commentator, so is Rawling

WayoftheCass · Post by **WayoftheCass** » 06 Nov 2005, 17:36

Hard to find a good commentary team anywhere. Bring back Harry Carpenter and Ol' Reg Gutteridge.
For me Jim Watt only focuses on one fighter and can hardly see the other guy. Rawling and Adam Smith sound like they don't know much about the sport but read up a lot on it at the library in the last week. And Ian Darke is decent but often talks too much about stuff the fighter did previously or is doing outside the ring rather than the actual fight.
Steve Holdsworth.....he is a real character and is total entertainment but is always bitching about the state of the sport and complaining that the current fighters don't hold a candle to the old timers which is crap in my humble opinion. He also doesn't really seem to watch fights. Larrios-McCullough I was aewsome but for me the Mexican outpunched a brave 'Pocket Rocket' in most rounds. But Holdsworth said he thought Wayne clearly by 2 or 3 rounds and that it was some horrendous robbery which it wasn't plain and simple.
I always liked Jim Neilly on the BBC and think McCrory, Nelson, Spencer Oliver and Barry McGuigan are good analysts.
A point on Duke McKenzie. I remember after the first Barrera fight him going on about how overrated and limited Erik Morales is. I couldn't believe it then and think that 'El Terrible' has gone on to make a mockery of such unfounded and basically ridiculous comments on an all time great.

chris s · Post by **chris s** » 07 Nov 2005, 06:05

Need to get Bunce on ITV, but they are most probbaly scared he'd upset people

My T Sharp · Post by **My T Sharp** » 07 Nov 2005, 10:29

I watched a re-run of the Ruiz Vs Jones Jr fight a few weeks ago and Lennox Lewis was doing some decent co-commentary for Setanta.

Maybe ITV should get him for the Harrison Vs Williams fight, its got to be better than Duke's preprinted 10 for every round for the home fighter.

E · Post by E » 07 Nov 2005, 10:35

split_decision wrote:Duke has come out with a few classics in recent matches.

"It's got the fans on the seat of their chair" (At Jennings vs Pryce)

And last night, what a corker.

"Scott has been hitting Hussein everywhere, from head to toe" Just as Scott ripped through his 34th low blow of the round. Hilarious.

Yes, I particularly like Duke's comment in the 4th round, taking credit for Harrison getting back into the fight. Something like "He obviously just heard what I said because Scott is now stepping in closer and reaching Hussein.'

I am surprised Harrison didn't have the decency to thank Duke for helping him turn the fight around in the post fight interview....

tonyevs · Post by **tonyevs** » 08 Nov 2005, 08:24

chris s wrote:Need to get Bunce on ITV, but they are most probbaly scared he'd upset people

He is too big a character to be hidden in print.

Who else dominates as much in front of the camera?

My one concern would be he didn`t scrape like he did in the early days with Audley, but what a pairing he and McGuigan would be

Both strong opinions and neither likely to back down..the after fight analysis would be as good as a Michael Hunter 10rnd-er

Coconut · Post by **Coconut** » 08 Nov 2005, 09:23

Bunce only looks good because he's trying to be quirky next to that dull-as-dishwater half-man half-giraffe.

boxingchat · Post by **boxingchat** » 08 Nov 2005, 09:50

boxerbob wrote:i watched this fight with the sound turned down as i was at a family party but i thought the judges got the fight correct , harrison was a clear winner by 4-5 rounds

me too, spot on scoring

boxingchat · Post by **boxingchat** » 08 Nov 2005, 09:57

Coconut wrote:Bunce only looks good because he's trying to be quirky next to that dull-as-dishwater half-man half-giraffe.

Spot on....Bunce is a Prick who alway's seem to suggest everything is crooked. Talks out of the side of his mouth and never looks you in th eye. Talks complete Bollocks most of thie time but comes across as clever. He is not.

Worst of the lot - Adam 'Polish a Turd' Smith. Makes a shit fight sound like Barerra V Morales every time.

For me Duke is good and getting better and Rawlings is, as he was on R5, the best of the lot.

Darke, GMC and Smith are becoming tired and boring. Jim Watt is good when he get's a word in

Old bones Ian · Post by **Old bones Ian** » 08 Nov 2005, 10:01

Does Bobby Vancie still do any co-commentating? Like him when he was on a couple of shows.

How come Steve Holdsworth doesn't get a look in on any of the Sky or ITV shows, i know he may not be everyones cup of tea, but he does call a shite fight shite, doesn't try and convince people there watching a great match up

MightyWarrior · Post by **MightyWarrior** » 08 Nov 2005, 10:06

topper123 wrote:
How come Steve Holdsworth doesn't get a look in on any of the Sky or ITV shows, i know he may not be everyones cup of tea, but he does call a shite fight shite

That's why he'll never be on anything other than Eurosport ( where his French bosses can't understand him anyway ) Sky and co don't want their man saying "this is bollocks!...now a word from our sponsors"

Lenny · Post by **Lenny** » 08 Nov 2005, 10:28

Bunce and McGuigan both on ITV, that would be entertaining, esp after the little war of words they had when BBC first started back into boxing if my memory serves me right.

Say what you will about Bunce as a person but he is good in front of the camera and explains things well for the general sports fan, as does McGuigan. Duke has never been gifted with the best speaking skills in the world and as much as I respect him for what he did in the ring, favours the home fighters too much and comes out with his own soundbites for too often.

Nelson is good in both analysis and commentating, Bunce is still good also and I don't mind Rawling. Holdsworth is the best though and as was said his habbit of saying what he thinks will keep him from a top job on Sky or ITV

Adam Smith is crap. Not everything needs to be shouted with big pauses after every third word. What Woodhall up to now days, didn't his job with the amatures go tits up?

Coconut · Post by **Coconut** » 08 Nov 2005, 11:04

MightyWarrior wrote: That's why he'll never be on anything other than Eurosport ( where his French bosses can't understand him anyway ) Sky and co don't want their man saying "this is bollocks!...now a word from our sponsors"

Anyone else watch the K1-style stuff with Sensei Will Something on Eurosport. He's an eejit. And he does actually say 'A word from our sponsors'.

I like Holdsworth but mainly because, as a cynical old git, I can empathise with him.

McGuigan's class, I agree. Explains things lucidly and brings understanding to everyone about some interesting points. Also not afraid to call it how he sees it, although without the brutal hatchet that Holdsworth uses.

Nelson's decent too.

And, even though I've said it before, it's worth repeating that Count Rosenthal should be pensioned off.

Old bones Ian · Post by **Old bones Ian** » 08 Nov 2005, 11:22

Anyone else watch the Bruno Documentary and when Harry Carpenter come on wish he was still commentating

MightyWarrior · Post by **MightyWarrior** » 08 Nov 2005, 11:54

I remember Barry's first stint behind a mike, with Reg G I think, he was terrified of criticising any of the boxers, did a terrible job and was dropped soon after.
But he's really come into his own now - not afraid to speak his mind at all, and obviously knows what he's talking about.

The best for me is still Jim "Bang on the chin" Watt ( and yes, he does labour the point at times ).

Anyone remember the all time worst, Gary Norman of Sky in the early days? He was like a deranged Blue Peter presenter. I had to turn off the TV when he was on. He was thankfuly replaced by Paul Dempsey.