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Jim Lampley will call Mayweather-Pacquiao fight against Mayweather wishes

By Will Osgood

Jan 19, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Professional boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr following the game between the Phoenix Suns against the Los Angeles Lakers at US Airways Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 19, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Professional boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr following the game between the Phoenix Suns against the Los Angeles Lakers at US Airways Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jim Lampley of HBO Sports will call the much anticipated Mayweather-Pacquiao fight despite the reservations of Mayweather. 

Jim Lampley, the prominent play-by-play boxing announcer of our day, will call the much-anticipated and highly overdue Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao fight set to tilt on the evening of May 2.

There was some question about the arrangement due to some complicated handlings in just how the fight came about. In fact, those conflicts are probably what kept the fight from coming together for so long.

According to Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix, the talks which finally led to the two meeting in the ring, were the third of their kind over the past six years. What was holding it up?

Most notably, the fact that Floyd Mayweather has an exclusive arrangement with the Showtime network for six fights, which he signed back in 2013. Pacquiao, at the same time, signed a two-year deal last year to air all of his fights on HBO.

Hence, bringing the two together was about much more than their willingness to actually spar against one another. It was a money and logistics issue in bringing together just who would air the fight.

But CBS executive Les Moonves was finally able to present a brilliant compromise whereby both networks will broadcast the fight. It will remain a logistical nightmare, or at least be quite tough, but the networks have set in motion a working deal which figures to produce a viewing arrangement equaling somewhere north of a quarter of a billion bucks.

As part of the arrangement, Showtime and HBO commentators will work together. Jim Lampley, as HBO’s head boxing announcer, will be providing play-by-play. This comes despite the contention of Mayweather.

Mayweather was hesitant to move forward with the arrangement in part because he doesn’t exactly see eye-to-eye with Lampley, who has not held back criticism toward Mayweather in the past.

Lampley will be joined ringside by his normal partner Roy Jones as well as Showtime’s Al Bernstein. Max Kellerman of HBO and Jim Gray will work the respective locker rooms, similar to an NFL arrangement where CBS takes mostly AFC coverage and Fox NFC.

The pre-fight show will be hosted by Showtime’s James Brown and Paulie Malignaggi.

The 5’8” Mayweather remains undefeated in his career, winning all 47 professional fights he has taken part in, registering 26 knockouts. Pacquiao, the 5’7” Philippines native, has fought more, with slightly less success.

In 64 career fights, Pacquiao has won 57 times, losing five times and ending two bouts in a draw.

The success of each, though, is the main reason this is such an anticipated fight.

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