Ranking the Best Commentators in Boxing Today

Guessing there will be a little disagreement over my choices here.

Please keep in mind that these are the boxing commentators who I enjoy the most out of the ones I watch often. There may be a few great announcers on a smaller channel or overseas who do a great job, but if I don't see their coverage I can't put them on the list.

Fair or not that's the way it is. In some ways this list is a ranking of my own personal favorites, which may be completely different from yours both in how the list is ordered and what factors go into your decision-making.

For me I like commentators who offer obviously accurate analysis on the match but also bring some humor to their call and don't try to oversell every aspect of the match.

That last bit of criteria is why you won't see Mauro Ranallo, who I view as the worst commentator on the major networks. Ranallo has one pitch, and that pitch is a 100 mph fastball straight at your head. Every fighter is the greatest, every fight is the greatest and every moment will be remembered forever.

His shtick can be unintentionally amusing at times, but I can't put him on this list for that reason.

Teddy Atlas also didn't make this list. I actually enjoy Atlas for his strange metaphors, and sometimes he nails the editorial commentary, like with the Rod Salka situation, but too often his train of thought appears to come off the tracks, and he starts not to make any sense. He entertains me, but I can't call him one of the best.

Finally, you also won't see Larry Merchant on this list. At one time Merchant may have topped this list, but over recent years he's stepped down from his regular duties on HBO, and frankly aging has appeared to hurt his game. Had to pay respects to an all-time great by at least mentioning him in this article.

Enough of who isn't on the list. Here are my top five favorite boxing commentators today.

5. Dan Rafael

There's no better boxing insider than Dan Rafael of ESPN.

I'm a weekly participant/reader of his Friday chat for ESPN, and it never ceases to amaze me how he can be asked about what appears to be a very obscure fight or fighter, and yet Rafael has the information at hand. I don't look to him to break down who will win the fight, but he's the best information man in the business.

It's funny: When you read comments about him he'll be accused of being an apologist or hater of every boxer or promoter at some point, but to me that's actually a sign of him doing his job well. That shows he isn't afraid of saying exactly what he feels or knows about a guy and isn't pulling any punches.

Fans can often be very sensitive about negative comments toward their favorite athletes, so those same fans attempting to discredit a commentator with accusations of being "a hater" just comes with the territory. If you're asked to give your opinion for long enough, there will be people who hate that opinion.

Rafael is also very knowledgeable in terms of the business of boxing. He knows that Top Rank will never work with Al Haymon and that a fighter under contract to one network won't fight a fighter signed to an exclusive deal on another network.

That should be very simple stuff, but it's amazing how often you read people calling for fights that are dead in the water due to the business and politics of boxing. Rafael doesn't waste our time with that, which I appreciate.

4. Brian Kenny

His interviews back in the day with Floyd Mayweather Jr. while he was on ESPN are enough alone to put him on this list. Forget Marcos Maidana in their first fight. Brian Kenny in the video I posted above landed the most punches on Mayweather.

Despite Mayweather's claims of "Brian Kenny you do not know about boxing," Kenny routinely offers sound commentary on the Showtime broadcasts and does an excellent job with the interviews he has to do in between matches.

I'm not sure how much play-by-play work he's done in the past, but I'd love to see Kenny replace Mauro Ranallo on Showtime's ringside announce team. He knows the sport, has strong opinions that don't waiver with the politics of boxing and delivers his commentary in a very professional style.

3. Max Kellerman

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There appears to be a lot of love or hate with Max Kellerman among boxing fans, but I think he's the best post-match in-ring interviewer, and his work with the Face Off series on HBO that they use to promote fights is excellent.

I don't always agree with his opinions—mainly that Guillermo Rigondeaux is entertaining—but I respect the fact he's willing to give his honest opinion, and I almost always find his comments to at least be interesting or thought-provoking.

It's not possible to change every fan's mind to bring him or her around to your point of view on a particular subject, but if you can at least make everyone think about the topic and ponder another angle I think you've done your job as a commentator. Kellerman performs very well in that area routinely.

2. Paulie Malignaggi

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To me Paulie Malignaggi is hands-down the best guy in the business in the former or current boxer-turned-analyst role that most major broadcasts have as a part of their crew.

Malignaggi's brashness as a boxer turns some people off, but as a commentator that personality turns him into a very entertaining analyst. He's great at being able to identify the strategies being used in the ring and breaking down the strengths and weaknesses to relay what's happening to the average fan.

Boxing isn't like baseball or basketball, where every kid grew up playing it and has at least a decent understanding of the strategy involved, so breaking down that wall and explaining things is very important in a broadcast; Malignaggi excels in that area.

Like others the sign of his greatness is the ability to take the complex and make it seem easy to understand.

1. Jim Lampley

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This was an easy choice.

Jim Lampley isn't perfect but is easily the best boxing announcer or commentator in the game today. Lampley's delivery is polished, and his style is relaxed—a big contrast from his counterpart at Showtime.

Besides not playing up the hype unnecessarily, Lampley also knows when to interject and when to lay out and let the action and crowd speak for themselves; not many are able to do that. He seems to understand better than most announcers that we didn't turn the TV on to see him; his job is to help serve up the action to us.

Lampley has been at or near the top for a long time and should someday get into the boxing Hall of Fame.