This content is protected This content is protected This content is protected The latter two videos above were just a few weeks before he passed. Ten years ago today, probably the hardest a boxing death has ever hit me - and he never fought a round. Still, even now, and mind you this is with the recent departure of Hagler (you have to understand, Marv didn't for me just epitomize all that is admirable in a prizefighter both stylistically and in terms of temperament, nor was he just a regional legend; he and I had mutual friends/sparring partners). During another segment of that interview with Gupta, which I can't find online anywhere, they showed him recording video diaries for his youngest daughter Giovanna to be played on her birthdays as she grew up. That's what he spent most of his final months doing, because time was running out to be there and be her dad. That's what kind of person he was. ShoBox was always low-key my favorite program back in the day, even though HBO was great and monopolized that 'big event' feel throughout most of my life. It was partially because of the up and coming prospects showcasing their stuff against gatekeepers and each other - but FNF offered that as well. It was partially the avuncular scholarly nature of Bernstein and the dryer but still charmingly enthusiastic nerdiness of Farhood. It was mostly Nick Charles. He was just...a fan. A true fan of boxing at heart, but housed within a seasoned and natural sports broadcaster who could have and did excel calling anything - but chose and always returned to the sweet science. And was just an authentically good guy, in a way that can't be faked and that you don't really see anymore. Idk. Iykyk. If you're too young, I'm not sure you can really 'get it' from any further panegyric from me here. You'd need to dig into Showtime's fight library and just ...watch, and listen. Still think it was an incredibly classy move of Lampley and HBO to allow Nick to call one last match on their airwaves, btw.
Obviously being a Brit I knew nothing of him, but having watched the above, I like his easy-going manner and, well, that's one of the best perms I've ever seen on TV...
He knew his boxing, too - more than a lot of televised play by play men (especially ones that also had extensive careers in calling team sports and don't have as much specialized experience or interest) although he was no encyclopedia like his colleagues Bernstein & Farhood. More of a storyteller and charismatic anchor than either of them - kind of similar to Lampley, but without the ridiculous buffoonery that Jim was capable of. He served as sort of an everyman insert for the average fan - somewhere between casual & extreme diehard, just a deep appreciator of the game, and class act.
