(August 2, 2023) – Legendary sportscaster Mike Goldberg, the “Golden Voice of Combat Sports,” says adding professional boxing to the endless list of sports he’s covered in his 30-year, hall-of-fame career has helped him discover a passion for bringing his iconic voice and trademark excitement to the future of the sweet science on television.
Having amicably parted ways with the UFC in 2016, after 19 years of helping build the sport into a global juggernaut with his trademark enthusiastic interpretations of the action alongside broadcast partner Joe Rogan, and a subsequent four-year stint for Bellator MMA that ended equally positively in April 2021, the normally optimistic Goldberg says he thought perhaps his time in major combat sports had ended.
But, as fate would have it, along came entrepreneur and media visionary Garry Jonas in early 2022, who invited Goldberg to assume the helm as central host and English play-by-play quarterback for his ambitious new boxing-streaming service ProBoxTV, with former world champions Chris Algieri and Paulie Malignaggi providing expert color commentary.
With Goldberg’s dynamic energy perfectly complementing the ingenious insights of Malignaggi and the smooth analytics of Algieri, the trio have quickly become one of the best broadcast teams in the entire sport and made ProBoxTV’s “Wednesday Night Fights” series a bi-weekly “must-watch” for true fans worldwide.
Goldberg, who served as sideline reporter for the Chicago Bulls during their 1991, 1992 and 1993 NBA championship runs, as well as broadcasted over 900 NHL hockey games for the Detroit Red Wings, Minnesota Wild and ESPN2 Hockey, says the challenge of adding another explosive sport like boxing to his repertoire has revived his love for adding his brand of on-mic excitement to the most historic and unexpected sports memories of the last three decades.
“I was always a fan of boxing from a distance,” admitted Goldberg. “I’m eternally grateful to Garry for bringing me aboard his team. The challenge of learning on the fly while helping to develop a signature, modernized ProBoxTV format has brought my passion for combat sports back to life.”
And while he says he will never turn his back on his MMA roots, having made his UFC commentary debut at Ultimate Japan in 1997, Goldberg’s stint in boxing has him hungrily awaiting his next ProBoxTV and freelance ring assignments. When not in the ProBoxTV hotseat, he also helms the BYB Extreme Fighting Series on pay-per-view with Malignaggi and ProBoxTV Spanish commentator Claudia Trejos.
“An upgrade in the excitement level of the commentary is what boxing badly needs,” said Goldberg, who is globally recognized for the trademark phrases, “HERE. WE. GO.,” “IT’S ALL OVER!” “VIRTUALLY IDENTICAL” and “JUST LIKE THAT!” which will be forever synonymous with most of the greatest moments in UFC History.
“I want to bring a new, more energetic energy to the sport that mirrors the momentous action in the ring. Nothing against traditionally dry boxing broadcasts, but fans love it when the commentator is just as excited as they are, especially younger ones. That’s my goal in boxing. To change the temperature in the broadcast booth.” And those who know “Goldie” know he won’t stop until “It’s All Over!”
