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Exclusive: 'I still think I can do it' - Jim Lampley is ready for return to boxing commentary
May 2 is set to be a historic moment for the sport of boxing.
Broadcast exclusively live on DAZN PPV, the first ever fight card to take place in New York’s Times Square will see three of American boxing’s biggest stars, Ryan Garcia, Devin Haney and WBO super lightweight champion Teofimo Lopez all in action.
But it is not just inside the ring where fans will be excited, outside the ring, legendary boxing commentator Jim Lampley will return to ringside for the first time since December 2018.
Lampley was the face of HBO’s boxing coverage from 1987 to the final airing 31 years later.
Since then, a void had former in Lampley’s life when it came to boxing and it looked like his time calling the biggest fights over indefinitely.
“When HBO boxing evaporated in 2018, I assumed, maybe stupidly, that one of these streaming services, one of the outfits that was purveying boxing matches to the public would hire me to do blow by blow,” Lampley told DAZN News in an exclusive interview.
“The years went by, and it didn't happen.”
Then, one tweet from His Excellency Turki Alalshikh, the man behind Riyadh Season and a number of mammoth fight cards over the past few years put the wheels for a return to boxing commentary in motion.
“On the night of Benavidez vs Morell, I was shown at ringside a post on X from Turki Alalshikh and it was saying, I would like for Jim Lampley to commentate.
“Several writers came over and said, ‘Would you call a fight for him? Are you interested in this?’
“I said, 'I'll talk to anybody who is interested in having me do blow by blow because I still think I can do it and I want to try even though it's been five or six years.' ”
This was back in February, but for Lampley, there was no call or meeting with Alalshikh arranged following the tweet, so the 76-year-old went about this business and found himself attending the WBA lightweight title fight between Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis and Lamont Roach.
- Read next | Exclusive: Jim Lampley on being the voice of Mike Tyson's career and 'luck' in sports broadcasting
“Several weeks went by and then I was at the fight in New York between Lamont Roach and Tank Davis sitting at ringside, and I got a message, please call Rick Reeno,” Lampley continued.
“Rick Reeno is a writer whom Turki hired to run Ring Magazine. I returned the call to Rick Reeno and Reeno said, ‘Could you come to the hotel, the Mark Hotel at four o'clock tomorrow afternoon to meet with Turki?’ I said, 'Sure'.
“I had nothing to lose. I walked into the room at the Mark Hotel the following day and met this man who is rearranging the boxing landscape through the force of his own power and wallet and initiative, and I liked him.
“I walked out with an agreement to call fights and that's what's going to happen May 2.”
DAZN Knockout Weekend Bundle: How much does it cost?
DAZNThe DAZN Knockout Weekend Bundle is now available to purchase.
The bundle will include two unmissable events starting off on May 2 with Ryan Garcia's clash with Rolando Romero. This main event will headline a card which also features Devin Haney vs Jose Ramirez along with WBO and Ring Magazine Teofimo Lopez who defends his titles against Arnold Barboza Jr.
Then on May 3, WBA, WBC and WBO super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez will face IBF titleholder William Scull for the undisputed super middleweight title in the new fight capital of the world Riyadh.
Fans can purchase both fights in the bundle for $90 in the US; £34.99 in the UK; and €39.99 in Europe. Click here for bundle prices in your country.
These two PPV events can also be purchased individually for $59.99 US; £/€21.99 UK/IRE; ROW - $24.99 per PPV.
