Jake Paul and Mike Tyson will finally get into the ring for their scheduled Netflix bout on November 15th. And with the fight a week away, we now know who the broadcast team will be.
Given the exhibition fight is probably the most anticipated boxing match of the year (that’s another column for another day on just how we reached this point for the sport), Netflix and Most Valuable Promotions are pulling out all the stops for a star studded broadcast crew.
Mauro Ranallo will call the play-by-play for the fight alongside Roy Jones Jr. and Rosie Perez. Kate Scott from CBS’s Champions League coverage will be the host alongside Andre Ward. And famed journalist Ariel Helwani will be one of the reporters. Even Mike Tyson’s son Amir will be involved in the telecast reporting on some of the preliminary fights.
Via Variety:
With the Jake Paul–Mike Tyson fight on Netflix rapidly approaching, Variety has learned exclusively that the Nov. 15 bout has finalized its broadcast team.
Kate Scott (née Abdo) will serve as the main host during the live broadcast of the Most Valuable Promotions (MVP)-Netflix event, with former world champion Andre Ward serving as lead booth analyst. The ringside play-by-play commentary will be led by Mauro Ranallo, with ringside analysis by Roy Jones Jr. and Rosie Perez.
Sean Wheelock will serve as the rules and scoring expert. Ariel Helwani and Sibley Scoles will serve as reporters, while Kody “Big Mo” Mommaerts will be in the in-ring announcer. Amir Tyson, Mike Tyson’s son, will co-lead the preliminary card reporting with Sibley Scoles.
There’s a lot of big names present but Ranallo calling the fight will certainly give it a legitimate feel. Even though he may be most well-known for his stint in WWE and NXT, Ranallo has called pretty much every combat sport on planet earth. He’s also the lead boxing voice for Showtime’s coverage. And the number of championship boxers present will also add to a big fight feel.
If you thought the Tyson-Paul fight was going to be presented as a jokey celebrity boxing affair, think again. At least according to Netflix. Of course, it’s still the reality of a YouTuber fighting a 58 year old retired boxer, so no matter how nice it’s going to be dressed up, others may not feel the same way.
[Variety]
About Matt Yoder