Nostalgic boxing fans are glad to see former HBO commentator Jim Lampley, who will give blow-by-blow commentary for Ring Magazine, being brought back for the triple-header on May 2nd. Some are also hoping Max Kellerman will be brought back.
Kellerman worked for HBO for many years until they stopped broadcasting boxing in 2018. It would be interesting to see Kellerman be brought back, as he’s no longer with ESPN. He’d been one of the guys who made live boxing entertaining, especially the back-and-forth with Lampley.
The Dream Team?
What I liked about Kellerman is that he had a Howard Cossell tell it like it is attitude, where he wasn’t afraid to give his thoughts. Cossell was the best, but Kellerman was a good light version.
In some ways, Kellerman is preferable to Lampley because he speaks faster and can generate stats from past fights. He’s like a human computer. On the negative side, he was stiff and not as humorous as other HBO commentators, like Roy Jones Jr. and George Foreman. Those two were great.
The younger fans only know Kellerman for his work on ESPN, teaming with Stephen A. Smith, which wasn’t a good pairing. Those lacked the chemistry that Kellerman had when he was with the HBO crew. During the first few episodes, ESPN should have noted that putting Kellerman with Stephen A. was a bad move. It takes someone with a sense of humor and interested in being a foil for him to work. Kellerman was all wrong for that kind of job. He’s not theatrical enough.
Lampley was more of an intellectual, so he and Kellerman were a good team when they were with HBO. Fans that remember the broadcasts, miss the old crew that they had. The fight cards weren’t always great in later years, but Kellerman, Lampley, George Foreman, Roy Jones Jr. and Larry Merchant made it fun. Kellerman came on when Merchant left the team, and it was a strange fit at first.
The May 2nd Line-up
– Ryan Garcia vs. Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero
– Devin Haney vs. Jose Ramirez
– Teofimo Lopez vs. Arnold Barboza Jr.
Last Updated on 03/03/2025
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