DAZN has once again been singled out for criticism after a night of coverage that should have been all about pleasing fans on both sides of the Atlantic.
The streaming service offered fans the chance to view Ryan Garcia vs. Luke Campbell for a cut-price $3 fee in the UK, and at a time to suit them to boot.
But it was a plethora of red flags that social media fans picked up on during the coverage that ultimately gained attention.
One presenter not really providing the insight he promises was one thing. Chris Mannix, who has been added by fans as a member from the Stephen A. Smith’s school of boxing analysis, was already in the firing line for previous comments on the sport before his mispronouncing of cacophony began a social media meltdown.
Mannix let out a ‘cack-a-phony’ that reverberated around the boxing world.
Pro boxer and former Floyd Mayweather fighter Ashley Theophane subsequently aired his views on Mannix.
“@DAZNBoxing needs to improve its commentary team. Start with showing @SIChrisMannix the door. He was (rubbish bin emoji).”
The further reaction was swift. Mannix was already on the hitlist of presenters who had a target on their back for previous gaff-like misdemeanors.
“I’d like to clarify I didn’t actually hear him mispronounce it. I was too busy grabbing myself another bottle from the cellar.
“If he pronounced it cack-oh-phony, I’m going to kick off. I’ll start a petition to have him executed,” said one tweeter.
Another added: “I was just in the middle of trying to tweet Gareth is going off, retweeting people who talk s— about the US DAZN commentating team, which itself is hilarious. Then Mannix drops a cack a phony.
“That made my weekend. Wow.”
DAZN UK COVERAGE
Gareth A. Davies did a sterling job presenting from the UK, but former world champion Ricky Hatton took the attention alongside him.
“DAZN needs subtitles for the English commentators for the American audience. I don’t know what Ricky Hatton and that other guy said,” stated one observer.
Hatton was also outed for his inability to say certain words and American viewers finding his voice hard to understand. But it certainly wasn’t his fault entirely.
Cutting to Hatton and Davies during a gutsy co-feature fight between super featherweights Rene Alvarado and Roger Gutierrez was nigh on a criminal offense for the DAZN producer.
The pair were battering each other while the commentary team discussed off-topic before cutting to Hatton for his opinion.
As the two-weight world champion attempted to outline his view during the final round, the most crucial knockdown in the fight happened.
Davies tried to rescue the situation as any professional would have. Sadly the damage had been done.
There seemed absolutely no point in garnering UK opinion for a fight not including British fighters and that was a toe-to-toe war into the bargain.
DAZN OVERHAUL
Once again, DAZN has been accused of getting it wrong. An overhaul of coverage should be top of the agenda for Monday.
It could just be UK fans on the warpath again, obviously, as they do when targeting Sky Sports for their UK endeavors.
But gaining this kind of attention for simply trying to bring fans the big fights doesn’t make for a good look all around.
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