Bob Papa Anchors the Broadcast Team for NBC’s New Bi-Monthly Boxing Series

Press Release — Ring City USA, the new sports media startup that is debuting its Thursday night boxing series from the famed Wild Card Boxing Club in Los Angeles, has announced the team that will helm its boxing broadcasts airing live on Thursday nights on NBCSN at 9 p.m. EST/6 p.m. PST.

Former two-time welterweight champion Shawn Porter will call the action alongside NBC Sports play-by-play commentator Bob Papa, who will make his return to boxing after a seven-year hiatus. Veteran combat sports writer Brian Campbell will serve as fight night analyst, while Emmy nominated-producer Curran Bhatia will report from ringside.

The team will work the inaugural event Thursday, Nov. 19 on-site from Wild Card Boxing Club in Los Angeles, and will continue through the remaining 2020 events that will take place on Dec. 3 and Dec. 17 respectively.

“Our model is to broadcast quality fights that benefit the fighter and the fight fan,” said Frank Samuel, CEO of Ring City USA. “We are excited that our viewers get to experience these fights, and the development of Ring City, through the impressive lens that Shawn, Bob, Brian and Curran collectively bring to our broadcast.”

Porter will provide ringside analysis for the fights, drawing on 12 years’ worth of professional fighting experience, including stints as the WBC and WBA welterweight champion. As a young fighter, Porter built his foundational skills fighting out of Wild Card during his initial foray into the pros. He has gone on to headline numerous stacked boxing cards, including a 2019 Fight of The Year contender when he faced Errol Spence Jr. for the IBF and WBC welterweight world titles. Part of the notable father-son boxing duo alongside his father and trainer Kenny, Porter has cultivated his on-air presence with stints as a guest commentator for FOX Sports.

Papa’s role as blow-by-blow announcer is built upon decades’ worth of boxing experience. His resume includes numerous pay-per-view fights including the 1990 Holyfield-Douglas heavyweight championship, and he spent seven years calling blow-by-blow for ESPN’s Friday Night Fights. Papa called the action for HBO’s Boxing After Dark from 2007-2013, following in the footsteps of boxing stalwarts Jim Lampley and Larry Merchant. Papa has called a variety of sports across NBC Sports, including 11 Olympic assignments, beginning with the 1992 Barcelona Games and most recently handling rugby play-by-play duties at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Most notably, Papa has often been referred to as “The Voice” of the New York Giants, having been associated with the franchise as its marquee radio announcer since 1988.

Combat sports reporter Campbell will host the broadcast. Campbell, who has been covering combat sports on a national level for over a decade, spent 12 years at ESPN before moving to his current role as the boxing and MMA writer for CBS Sports. Campbell is the host of the popular live combat sports YouTube talk show Morning Kombat and has called live boxing broadcasts on a variety of platforms. He is the former host of the FOX Sports boxing interview show Face to Face and has hosted a variety of boxing podcasts.

Curran Bhatia will handle ringside reporting endeavors for Ring City. The four-time Emmy nominee spent nearly a decade producing long-form content and live series for HBO and began his on-air tenure as a contributor to FOX Sports and Bleacher Report Live. The New York-based Bhatia hosts Ask the Experts, a podcast where he breaks down combat sports through the lens of experts and others who have spent years working in live sports production.

“The team we have entrusted to be the faces and voices of Ring City couldn’t be more passionate about boxing,” Samuel continued. “While each member of this team is impressive in their own right, together we are excited to watch the fight night experience they bring as a group.”

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Editor’s Note: Here are the main events for the first three Ring City promotions:

Thursday, Nov. 19

10 rounds, super featherweights. O’Shaquie Foster (17-2, 10 KOs) vs. Miguel “Mickey” Roman (62-13, 47 KOs)

Thursday, Dec. 3

10 rounds, super welterweights. Serhii Bohachuk (18-0, 18 KOs) vs. Brandon Adams (21-3, 13 KOs)

Thursday, Dec. 17

10 rounds super welterweights. Charles Conwell (13-0, 10 KOs) vs. Madiyar Ashkeyev (14-0, 7 KOs)

Pictured: O’Shaquie Foster

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