Terence Crawford vs. Israil Madrimov Commentators and Broadcast Team: Kate Abdo, Shawn Porter, and More

Alright, the night’s almost here! Terence Crawford is just hours away from stepping into the ring after a whole year, going up against Israil Madrimov. It’s not only Crawford’s debut in a new weight class but also His Excellency Turki Alalshikh’s first time organizing an event in the United States. To make the Riyadh Season Card in L.A. extra special, the broadcasters – DAZN have brought in a team of top-notch commentators. So, the big question now is—who are they?

Hold onto your hats because this team is going to blow it up! The DAZN team comprises Chris Mannix, Shawn Porter, Ade Oladipo, Kate Abdo, Todd Grisham, and Sergio Mora, ready to bring the action to the home viewers. They’re set to deliver an engaging and in-depth viewing experience, making sure you don’t miss a single electrifying moment of this high-stakes showdown. But the question now is why were they selected for this occasion. Let’s find out! 

Terence Crawford vs. Israil Madrimov: Big day, big team! 

Let’s start things off with Chris Mannix, a regular fixture in all of DAZN’s boxing broadcasts. So, who’s Chris Mannix? He’s a top NBA and boxing writer at Sports Illustrated, where he’s been covering big games and fights since 2003. Mannix is also the host of Sports Illustrated’s Open Floor podcast. The 37-year-old is a nominee for the 2022 National Sportswriter of the Year and has snagged several awards from the Boxing Writers Association of America and the Pro Basketball Writers Association. Oh, and he graduated from Boston College in 2003. Basically, he’s a big deal in sports journalism!

Now Shawn Porter—while boxing fans are no stranger to this former world champion, here’s a rundown for the newbies. Shawn Porter is a retired boxer who’s now killing it as a sports commentator. In the ring, he was known for his aggressive style and previously held the IBF welterweight title from 2013 to 2014 and the WBC title from 2018 to 2019. After he retired in 2021, he jumped into commentary, and he’s been everywhere—NBC’s Ring City USA, Premier Boxing Champions, and Triller Fite Club. He also hosts his own ‘The Porter Way’ Podcast on YouTube and ProBox TV’s ‘Deep Waters’ where he breaks down fights as well as the latest boxing news.

Up next is Ade Oladipo, a man for all seasons for DAZN Boxing. Oladipo is a sports presenter who’s made waves across boxing and football. He’s the lead presenter for DAZN Boxing and hosts their show, where he chats with big names in the sport. You’ve probably seen him on talkSPORT, Amazon Prime, or DAZN Football, too. A big moment for him was in December 2023 when he became the first black presenter of a Premier League game on Amazon Prime. He’s also covered major events for Fox Sports and ESPN and won the 2021 Audio Productions Award for Best New Voice. Plus, he’s got a popular YouTube channel focused on boxing.

Next, Kate Abdo is a British sports broadcaster with an amazing career that spans many years with various organizations. To put things into perspective, she’s worked with Deutsche Welle, CNN, Sky Sports, and Fox Sports. Not just that! The 42-year-old has hosted big events like the FIFA Ballon d’Or and covered UEFA games. She’s been the go-to person for CBS Sports’ UEFA Champions League coverage and has received a lot of praise for it. Also, known for her language skills and versatile hosting, she just signed on with CBS Sports for another four years.

Todd Grisham will also be there, who is a prominent American sports broadcaster. He began his career as a professional wrestling commentator for WWE before transitioning to ESPN in 2011. At ESPN, Grisham hosted ‘Friday Night Fights’ and served as a SportsCenter anchor. In 2017, he joined the UFC as a broadcaster, where he worked until 2020. Notably, in September 2018, Grisham became part of DAZN’s boxing commentary team.

Last but not least, Sergio Mora is a former pro boxer and TV personality from the U.S. He’s known as ‘The Latin Snake’ and made a big name for himself in the ring, even snagging the WBC light middleweight title once. After hanging up his gloves, he shifted gears to the media world, where you’ll catch him on DAZN boxing broadcasts and as part of the ‘Jabs’ crew on The DAZN Boxing Show. With that out of the way, here are the fights these commentators will be covering! 

Crawford vs. Madrimov: Undercard

The undercard for the Crawford vs. Madrimov fight is simply spectacular! Former unified heavyweight champ Andy Ruiz Jr. (35-2, 22 KOs) is going up against Jarrell Miller (26-1-1, 22 KOs), and that one’s definitely going to be a blast. Plus, keep an eye out for Jared Anderson (14-0, 13 KOs) as he squares off against Martin Bakole (18-1, 14 KOs)—this could be a big moment for Anderson’s career.

Also on the card, Isaac Cruz (26-2-1, 18 KOs) is defending his WBA super lightweight title for the first time against Jose Valenzuela (13-2, 9 KOs). Also, super middleweight contender David Morrell (9-0, 8 KOs) will be facing Radivoje Kalajdzic (27-2, 19 KOs). And don’t miss Olympic gold medalist Andy Cruz fight it out against Antonio Moran (26-7, 19 KOs). Lots of action to look forward to!

Alright, these are the guys you can expect to hear and see during the Riyadh Season Card in Los Angeles. With a lineup such as this, the night is bound to be extraordinary, but is there anyone missing? Let us know!