Max Kellerman has been absent from covering boxing for some time since being fired from ESPN in 2023, but the prominent commentator will be returning to cover the upcoming September 13th card between Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford. In an interview held with The Ring, Kellerman’s thoughts on the upcoming match was fully explored as he offered a unique perspective on the state of boxing based on the investments made by Turki Alalshikh.
Max Kellerman has long been known as one of the most successful modern-day boxing commentators since his time at HBO Boxing and has been a missed presence in the sport since being released from ESPN ― something that will be rectified as he is set to participate at the Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford September 13th event as part of its broadcasting team.
During an interview with The Ring, Kellerman explained why the upcoming bout between the two pound-for-pound fighters could potentially be the biggest fight of the past decade.
“It [Alvarez vs. Crawford] might turn out to be number one,” Kellerman asserted when asked on how high the upcoming fight could rank in his top 5 of fights commentated.
“I’ve done Pacquiao fights, I’ve done Mayweather fights, I’ve done Anthony Joshua against [Wladimir] Klitschko, those are big fights, but because of Netflix, this will be the most watched championship fight in almost 50 years.
“Muhammad Ali fought Leon Spinks in the rematch in [1978] and they did 90 million TV sets, and since then what has even come close? The biggest fights have all been on pay-per-view, and they do two million buys. As I keep saying, if five people per TV set watch, that’s 20 million people. This is going to do multiples of that, so if you’re looking at it from a commercial point of view it’ll easily be the biggest boxing event I’ve ever covered.“
Max Kellerman further spoke on the marketability of boxing which he believes is reaching a new period with the arrival of Turki Alalshikh and his investments into the sport.
“You say, ‘well why isn’t boxing more popular right now’. The answer is, because we understand the world through storytelling,” Kellerman stated.
“That’s how people interpret the world, and stories are only as interesting as the characters are interesting ― as you are invested in the characters.
“You know the characters in other sports. You don’t know the characters in boxing and that’s the only reason you don’t watch it and aren’t a fan of, and like a real fanatic, ’cause that’s how awesome boxing is. But, with the power of the platform of Netflix, [and] with the people who are behind this fight, Turki Alalshikh is basically a boxing fan’s dream come true.
“Going forward you’re going to know who the characters are, what’s at stake for them, what makes them tick, what’s the obstacle, how big is the obstacle, what’s on the other side of it and that’s all that boxing has ever been missing ― people invested in the fighters. Once you have that it’s a wrap. We are looking at, potentially, a golden age of boxing.”
Turki Alalshikh’s partnership with Dana White was also mentioned by Kellerman as the potential resounding factor that could lead to a “golden age of boxing”, with White’s success with the UFC pinpointed as well as Alalshikh’s backing as a catalyst for boxing to enter its prime.
However, the exact details on the plans between the two remain vague, with initial information first signifying they would create a boxing promotion. The current arrangement might be an extension of this partnership, with White having been announced to be promoting the upcoming September 13th card ― as evident by his appearances during two of the three press conferences heralding the event.
