Amazon Prime Debut: Who Will Call the Action on Prime?

Ex Showtimer Mauro Ranallo will be calling PBC on Amazon Prime fights along with Abner Mares, another Sho alum, as well as Joe Goossen, who did analysis on-air with Fox and PBC.

Brian Custer is in the fold, he will be presiding over the desk on March 30, when PBC puts on their first show of a new era, the streaming era.

On Amazon, on Netflix later this summer, the mega streamers are beefing up their sports programs, because athletic contests are ‘must consume in real time’ events, and FOMO drives eyeballs.

Mauro Ranallo Will Be Blow By Blow

The Amazon crew will call the revamped main event, featuring an A sider who isn’t associated with the Haymon Boxing program, Tim Tszyu. He fights late sub Sebastian Fundora, after 35 year old Keith Thurman fell out with an injured bicep.

Other Showtime staff who will be seeing Amazon duty: Custer, who is a full on big shot, with ESPN on his resume, it was announced on Wednesday. Maybe you saw this story, which laid out some of what ex Showtime sports boss Stephen Espinoza has/will be doing.

Folks wondered if maybe there would be heavy overlap between ex Showtime staff and the squad putting out the PBC on new platform stuff.

Yep, Ranallo, not a universal fan fave among boxing fans, will bring his singular energy to Prime.

The addition of Mares is seen as a head scratcher to some. Ok, me included. He’s notches below Paul Malignaggi as an explainer and dissector, and he drew no raves when he stepped into the hole left by Malignaggi’s exit from Showtime.

Raul Marquez is a superior performer, in my book, but that’s subjective. Marquez looks to be staying in that mix, he’s part of a shoulder program round table next week.

Others to Be Featured on Amazon

Ray Flores is continuing the affiliation, he will be performing fight week duties along the lines of what we’ve become accustomed to. Another talent we saw on PBC on Fox, Jordan Plant, also is performing similar duties for the new platform providers.

Fans of the OG Al Bernstein will get their Al fix reading him on the RING platform.

Hall of Famer Al Bernstein with The Sportsnista (Lina Baker photo)

My three cents: Such a talent will doubtlessly find himself the right fit post Sho.

Same goes for Brian Campbell, who had a solid Showtime run as a versatile talent—I’m surprised he didn’t get the “Jim Gray” slot doing post-fight interviews, he’s suited for that—- and the venerable Steve Farhood, we assume they’ll find proper places to continue to serve fight fans.