Imagine a boxing landscape where the biggest fights actually happen. Where the hype translates to reality, and the next generation of superstars collide in epic clashes. That's the tantalizing promise hanging in the air, according to the DAZN broadcast team – but a single fight stands in the way.
The DAZN commentary trio of Todd Grisham, Sergio Mora, and Chris Mannix are buzzing with anticipation about the potential showdown brewing in the junior middleweight division. At the heart of this excitement is Texas' own undefeated WBC interim champion, Vergil Ortiz Jr. Should Ortiz emerge victorious against former title challenger Erickson Lubin, the stage is set for a mouthwatering superfight against Jaron "Boots" Ennis, the recently unified welterweight champion.
But here's where it gets controversial... A lot hinges on that 'should.' Lubin is no pushover, and a loss for Ortiz would completely derail these carefully laid plans. We'll delve into that risk later.
DAZN is rapidly cementing its position as a leading force in boxing coverage, fueled by strategic partnerships with Saudi Arabia's boxing benefactor, Turki Alalshikh, and prominent promoters like Matchroom and Golden Boy. This surge in prominence positions Grisham, Mora, and Mannix to become the definitive voices of the sport, guiding fans through this exciting new era.
Vergil Ortiz Jr. vs. Erickson Lubin: More Than Just a Fight
This isn't just another boxing match; it's a pivotal moment with far-reaching implications. The team at BoxingScene Today aptly previewed the Ortiz Jr. vs. Lubin bout, highlighting its significance as one of the most intriguing matchups of the year. The stakes are incredibly high, and the ripple effects could reshape the boxing landscape for the foreseeable future.
The potential Ortiz-Ennis clash, tentatively slated for the first half of 2026, would be a crown jewel in a jam-packed schedule of high-profile fights. Fight fans can also anticipate a Teofimo Lopez-Shakur Stevenson battle at 140lbs in January, a lightweight title showdown between champion Raymond Muratalla and Olympic gold medalist Andy Cruz, and a junior lightweight unification bout between Mexican warriors Emanuel Navarrete and Eduardo Nunez.
"Some DAZN people were just sketching out the schedule, and the first quarter genuinely looks like the best quarter DAZN has ever had," Mannix stated, painting a picture of a truly spectacular start to the year. Mannix, a seasoned boxing journalist with two decades of experience at Sports Illustrated, provides valuable analysis, scoring insights, and in-fight and post-fight interviews for the DAZN crew, a team that has cultivated a strong on-air rapport over nearly four years.
"If this thing happens this weekend and we get Vergil-'Boots' … I can’t name maybe two U.S.-based fights that are bigger between two U.S.-based stars in their primes," Mannix declared, emphasizing the magnitude of the potential matchup.
BoxingScene engaged in revealing Q&A sessions with Mannix, Mora, and Grisham in Texas, offering a glimpse into their dynamic as a team, their evolving roles within the sport, and their expectations for the coming year.
Todd Grisham: The Ringmaster of the Broadcast
Grisham, bringing a wealth of experience from ESPN, WWE, Glory Kickboxing, and UFC, initially joined DAZN to call undercard bouts, working alongside Brian Kenny, who was paired with Mora at the time. Interestingly, Grisham's very first fight assignment at ESPN was Mora's 2013 encounter with Grzegorz Proksa.
Mora reminisced, "I used to feel sorry for [Grisham] because all he did was the undercards. When Kenny and Sugar Ray Leonard left, the DAZN guys decided they wanted it to be more vibrant, young … they didn’t want us to wear ties. 'We want you guys to have fun, like you’re watching a fight on the television and have it be just between you guys. Be prepared, but have a go at it.' And once we came together and Mannix came aboard, the natural chemistry came and we just bounced off each other."
Grisham offers a different perspective: "If you ask people on Twitter, they might say it doesn’t work at all. But I feel like I’m good at stirring the pot and they just routinely have fun disagreements. So I’ll take Chris’ side on stuff and get Sergio going, or if Chris is getting too uptight, I’ll get on Sergio’s side. One of our [DAZN] guys was like, ‘I don’t get it, you guys are always arguing with each other.’ We told him, ‘No, it’s like brothers, bickering and arguing.’ Sergio is the best at it … even if you think he’s wrong, he can talk his way out of a paper bag no matter what it is. I just enjoy getting ‘em going. Let’s be honest: In some of these fights, the odds are 25/1, a boring fight where the ‘A’ side is just trying to get in rounds. So we’re trying to entertain the fans and keep ourselves engaged. I like that."
Mannix, co-host of the "Boxing With Mannix and Mora" podcast and DAZN's "The Fighter and the Writer" livestream with Mora, emphasizes the importance of striking a balance between serious analysis and lighthearted entertainment.
"Todd is the big voice, steering that ship while wanting to have fun, which Sergio leans into. We’re probably looser in the context of other broadcasts historically in boxing. Todd brings that big-fight feel. He’s excellent in the moments and rises to the occasion every single time. I’ve told him his best moment was actually shooting Creed III, doing it on a sound stage with a bunch of people around us that were fake clapping. He’s reading a script from a fight that’s not even happening in front of him and he’s just as into it as if it’s the heavyweight championship of the world. That ability is as good as anyone. Sergio and I fight like cats and dogs on the air and on our [podcast], but I have just an enormous amount of respect for what Sergio accomplished. This is a guy who came from East L.A. doing backyard barbecue, fights his way through The Contender, gets a win over Vernon Forrest to become a world champion. Every show, he’ll say something, and I’m like, ‘Huh, I didn’t see that.’ And that’s big for the guy in the analyst’s chair."
Mora acknowledges the shift in broadcasting styles he experienced moving from Kenny to Grisham.
"The best education I ever got was from Brian Kenny. He was so professional, but he would get upset with me when I talked too much. He would say, ‘You need to know when to talk and when to shut up. Right now, you need to shut up.’ So I learned how to be quiet, and let the moment talk for itself."
Mora even questioned Grisham at one point, asking, "You don’t think you’re being too loud? You don’t want to be more professional, cookie cutter?" Grisham's response? "No, I don’t want to do that. If they don’t like that, they’re not going to like me." Mora admits he was accustomed to broadcasters opening with, "Welcome to the show… not a guy who opens the show by breaking my balls over me losing money on the roulette table last night."
"But that’s [Grisham’s] character, and if he’s entertaining me, what makes you think everyone watching doesn’t love it, too? If you’re going to be charismatic, be charismatic.
Todd has told me at other times, ‘Hey, man, I’m at a 10, and when I give it to you, you’re at a two. You’re not working with Brian Kenny anymore. I want you to get to a damn 10, and if you think you’re loud, I want you to be louder.’ Little by little, I started to get what he meant. He wants me to match his energy, and that’s what resonates. It’s not one guy, it’s a team thing."
Grisham recounts a specific instance: "We were in Oklahoma, and if you listen to Sergio’s old fights, he sounds timid, a scared voice. So I told him, ‘On the next knockout, you’re going to feel like it’s an out-of-body experience, but I want you to come up to an eight.’ He said he’d do it for one. So I said, ‘That’s one of the best knockouts you’ll see … !’ and Sergio followed, ‘And Todd, it started with a body shot!’"
Mora playfully conceded, "I told him, ‘For once, you’re right.’"
Sergio Mora: The Boxer's Perspective
Mora, a former WBC junior middleweight champion, brings a deep understanding of the multifaceted journey of a boxer, from the early stages of prospect development to the challenges faced by established champions and seasoned veterans.
"The more I realize what this job is about, it’s about putting myself in every boxer’s shoes. Who would I want to be? What would I want to do? Who’s winning or losing the fight? Do they need a jab to the body, to find an angle, to throw less punches? I try to stay in the flow of the telecast. Get in, get out, say my piece and move on. It’s like a ballet. I remember calling Raymond Ford fights. Mannix and Todd would jump on this guy, saying, ‘he has to go for a knockout, that he just keeps winning rounds, but he’s very boring.’ They were talking so negative, so I came back and said how great he was doing, pitching a shutout against an undefeated guy from Texas in Texas. You know how hard that is to do? Then he went on to win a world championship, and Raymond Ford’s the goods. They didn’t see that. They saw him as a boring guy who needed another gear. I try to bring out more flavor to what they consider boring."
Grisham highlights Mora's unique ability to provide insightful commentary: "In the HBO days, I felt like after the first three or four rounds, they would decide this is the way it’s going and not change. Sergio, especially, will say what we’re not seeing and opens eyes to lots of things. Anything he can bring up – things he saw in the ring – it makes it so much more legitimate. Like, ‘It looked like I was running against Daniel Jacobs, and then I waited for the perfect moment and, Boom! I shot the right hand.’ Being able to take you into his mind, his career is invaluable."
Chris Mannix: The Reporter in the Ring
Mannix, with his background in sports journalism, recognizes the importance of humility and continuous learning, particularly when working alongside someone with Mora's in-ring experience.
"What Sergio’s eyes can see, mine can never see. No matter how hard I study, no matter how much prep work I do. We may bicker over how a fight is scored. All I can do is try to approach every fight like I’m reporting a story. Every fighter meeting, I try to glean something the public doesn’t know that I can reveal to the public on the broadcast. A change in strength coach, something.
It's not my job to call punches. It’s not my job to commentate on what I’m seeing in front of us. It’s my job to provide context. I’ve been a reporter for 20 years and I know most people in the sport. I’m supposed to know if the guy had a bad training camp, to know if he had an injury, any kind of issue … I’m supposed to add context to the situation. When we’re all doing our thing, we can provide a pretty quality broadcast."
Grisham emphasizes the importance of delivering concise and impactful commentary: "Only the hard-core die-hards are watching fights for 48 minutes. Most are watching on replay, TikTok, in bite-sized chunks, so you’ve got to hit that big moment. I learned from Jim Ross, the WWE legend, to speak in sound bites. Some go on and on. No, you’ve got eight seconds: ‘Big knockout! One of the biggest wins of his life! He’s destined to have a title shot, doing this in front of his hometown crowd!’ Then Sergio gets his part in. Chris does his. Everyone’s happy. You’re giving that sound bite to build those packages for the next show. That’s what I really try to focus on. Sergio knows if someone lands a knockout, he can be talking about whatever, shut up! This is what we’re here for. You’ve got to let those big moments live."
Mannix often faces criticism on social media for his live scorecards. He balances this responsibility with providing analysis, conducting in-fight trainer interviews, and post-fight interviews with the fighters. His experience in deadline-driven journalism gives him an advantage in managing these multiple tasks.
"When I first got the job, I went back and watched as many Larry Merchant and Al Bernstein post-fight interviews as I could, and Max Kellerman in that dual role, too. It’s hard to describe the chaos of the post-fight interview. There’s 50 people in the ring. Guys have just got in a car crash, and you’re asking them when they want to get into the next one. It’s crazy to me. One of the most surreal was [the undisputed light heavyweight title fight between Russians Artur] Beterbiev and [Dmitry] Bivol. It was like a nightclub in there, every inch of the ring taken, and I’m squeezing in there to ask guys who don’t speak English as a first language questions that will elicit an interesting response. It’s important to listen to answers, and respond accordingly. I prep for these shows like I do a Sports Illustrated story. If I’m as prepared as I can be, everything else kind of falls in place easily."
Mora admitted, "When they asked me to score, I said no. I didn’t want to take all that shit from critics. Mannix doesn’t care."
Grisham offers a pragmatic perspective on social media criticism: "As long as the man thinks I’m doing a good job, signing my paycheck and my bosses are saying, ‘Good job, good show,’ do I care what some guy in Dubuque, Iowa has to say of how horrible I am? I’ve done this a few times when someone [on social media] says I can do a better job than you. I write them a DM: here’s what you do: Set a timer for six hours when the first show starts, no breaks, talk all the time, send it in and I’ll evaluate you. No one’s ever followed up. It’s easy to say, ‘What you said is stupid.’ You’re going to say stupid stuff over six hours. I’ve already said five stupid things talking to you now."
Mora emphasizes the high-pressure environment of live broadcasting: "You’re walking on a tightrope and there’s no safety net or pause. Whatever you say is live and recorded forever. If you think about that, you’re going to want to shell up. But if you’re comfortable around the guys you’re working with, you’re literally just talking to those two. For some reason, I’m always disagreeing with Mannix. I disagree with [Grisham], too, but he turns it into entertainment. Mannix turns it into a debate and does a good job of not making it a fight.” I’m a good punching bag, I think. Bring it on."
The trio was initially slated to cover the stacked November 22 card in Saudi Arabia, headlined by David Benavidez and Jesse "Bam" Rodriguez. Grisham and Mora will be going, but Mannix will remain behind as his wife, Seniesa Estrada, is expecting their first child around that time.
Mora believes the Saudi card marks the beginning of a potentially transformative year for boxing, with the debut of Zuffa Boxing on Paramount+, the possibility of a new broadcast deal for Top Rank, and Premier Boxing Champions events on Prime Video.
"Big fights are being made with money. Not only Saudi money. Network money. Promoter money. Netflix. Prime. Everyone will come with a treasure chest of money. They roll out a big carpet, but they have to be consistent with big fights. Just because you match two big names doesn’t mean you’re getting a good fight. That’s not the network’s fault, not the money’s fault. That’s boxing, the sweet science, and that’s where the fans get it wrong by saying they’re wasting money and failing. You’ll have hiccups. It’s a flawed science, but when it works, it’s great."
DAZN has also recently announced a new "Ultimate" pricing plan, offering viewers access to all of their fights for a monthly fee of $44.99 in the U.S. and £22.99 in the U.K.
Grisham sums up the positive changes in the sport: "A couple years ago, boxing was known for the fights that didn’t get made. Now, there aren’t a lot of fights that we’re not getting. It looks like the ‘Boots’-Vergil fight is going to be happening. So, for boxing fans, the sport matchup-wise is as good as we’ve ever seen it."
So, what do the DAZN crew foresee happening on Saturday night in Texas?
Grisham envisions a dominant performance from Ortiz: "The best thing for boxing is for Vergil to mow right through [Lubin], and people here are just screaming and yelling and then the guy comes out from behind the curtain, with ‘Boots’ getting into the ring. Like GGG coming out for Canelo. To me, that’s the stuff. I love Lubin, and he can win, but the best thing for boxing is those kinds of moments. It’s not so much the matchup, but the buildup to the matchup."
Mora offers a more cautious perspective: "Three weeks ago on the podcast, Mannix asked me this question and I said Vergil’s going to blast through this guy, that Lubin’s chinny. But then I started studying Lubin’s last couple of fights. I had judged him off the Fundora fight. That was a beatdown, and fighters only have so many of those fights … but then I’ve seen how he’s come back, knocking out [Luis] Arias, who’s been in there with champions. Against [Jesus] Ramos, he’s a counter-puncher, selective with his aggression, doesn’t mind letting the fight breathe. I think Lubin’s going to present issues to Vergil Ortiz, I really do. Ortiz is in for a serious fight if it goes past five rounds."
Grisham concludes with a word of caution: "I’m worried the fight is basically booked, and you saw what happened when we had the Ryan Garcia-Devin Haney rematch booked, and Ryan loses. With Joseph Parker-Oleksandr Usyk, Parker loses. Sometimes when you’re looking ahead and think something’s gonna happen, it doesn’t happen."
What do you think? Is Ortiz destined for greatness, or is Lubin poised to play spoiler? Join the discussion below and share your predictions!
