When a world title's on the line, it's Sheridan's call
When a world title's on the line, broadcaster Bob Sheridan, affectionately known as "The Colonel," usually calls the shots as he approaches No. 800 next month.
Even after 40 years as a boxing broadcaster, Bob Sheridan, affectionately known as "The Colonel," still gets excited when there is a world championship on the line.
Nos. 797 and 798 came two weeks ago in Germany, where Sheridan called the Felix Sturm-Maselino Masoe middleweight title bout and the Wladimir Sidorenko-Ricardo Cordoba bantamweight title fight.
Although Sheridan has worked for many promoters through the years, he has been associated most closely with Don King. Sheridan will work King's April 1 card in Cleveland, and is scheduled to call two title bouts to reach 800, which is believed to be a world record, although it is not documented.
No. 799 is slated to be the Luis Perez-Dimitri Kirilov junior bantamweight title fight on the undercard, although that fight is tentative. No. 800 would be the Lamon Brewster-Sergei Liakhovich heavyweight title bout in the main event.
If Perez-Kirilov falls through, No. 800 will come April 22 in Germany, where Sheridan will call another heavyweight title fight, Chris Byrd's defense against Wladimir Klitschko.
Since getting his start in Miami in 1966, Sheridan, 61, has called fights on TV and radio on six continents.
"He is very dedicated and committed," King said. "With The Colonel, it's have microphone, will travel."
Sheridan estimates he has broadcast more than 10,000 fights in all.
"That's a fair guess," Sheridan said. "I guess there's no way to know how many I have really called. I did weekly shows for so long, for so many years."
King, who has known Sheridan for more than 30 years, is shocked that Sheridan has not been elected to the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, N.Y.
"They may have left him out of the Hall of Fame, but he is a Hall of Famer," King said. "He is a Hall of Famer, but they just haven't recognized him yet. We will get him in there because he deserves to be in there. I think he's one of the best commentators in the world today. He's a great guy and he has a great personality. He's an action-packed caller. He makes the fight a thriller. I can't say enough nice things about him."
It's seems appropriate that Sheridan's 800th title fight could be in the heavyweight division.
His first world title fight was Jimmy Ellis' 15-round decision win against Jerry Quarry to win the vacant WBA heavyweight title in 1968.
Since then, Sheridan has called nearly 100 heavyweight title fights, including three of the most famous of all time.
Those who watch the reruns on ESPN Classic of Muhammad Ali-Joe Frazier III ("The Thrilla in Manila"), Ali-George Foreman ("The Rumble in the Jungle") and Buster Douglas' monumental upset of Mike Tyson, are listening to Sheridan's voice.
Although Sheridan loves all three of those fights, his favorite among the many heavyweight title fights he has worked is the 1978 classic between Larry Holmes and Ken Norton, when Holmes pulled out a 15-round split decision to win the title in Las Vegas.
"Being in Zaire and Manila as a young broadcaster was a thrill, but Holmes-Norton is my favorite of the heavyweight fights," Sheridan said. "It was a really exciting fight, dead even the whole fight. Neither guy deserved to lose, but Larry won it and established himself, and went on to become one of the great heavyweight champions of all time. That fight really launched him."
Sheridan also has called a slew of title fights involving Sugar Ray Leonard, Marvelous Marvin Hagler, Thomas Hearns, Roberto Duran, Evander Holyfield, Lennox Lewis, Julio Cesar Chavez, Felix Trinidad, Bernard Hopkins, Roy Jones and just about every other fighter of consequence in the past four decades.
Although most of Sheridan's work goes unheard in the United States, he is known around the world because of his extensive work calling fights for the international broadcast. So, for example, while Steve Albert and Al Bernstein broadcast the Brewster-Liakhovich fight for the U.S. audience watching on Showtime, Sheridan will provide the commentary that goes to the dozens of countries around the world that pick up the fight. In places such as Australia, where much of his work is carried, he has become a celebrity.
"That I am not seen or heard much in the United States has probably cost me in terms of fame and wealth, but I can't complain," said Sheridan, who grew up in Boston and moved to Las Vegas in the mid-'90s. "I think reaching 800 is almost to me like, 'Wow! Did I really do 800 world title fights?' It's unbelievable to me that I have been fortunate enough to do this."
| “ | I think reaching 800 is almost to me like, 'Wow! Did I really do 800 world title fights?' It's unbelievable to me that I have been fortunate enough to do this. ” | |
| — Bob Sheridan |
One of Sheridan's biggest fans is Alan Hopper, the publicity director for Don King Productions. He and Sheridan have known each other since Hopper took the job with DKP in 1999. They became fast friends.
"He's one of the most genuine people I have ever met," Hopper said. "And he has such an enthusiasm for the sport. It comes through in his descriptions and his call of the fight. He comes across as a guy sitting next to you on a couch watching the fight with you. He doesn't call the fight like he's on top of a mountain speaking down to you. When I hear him I feel like I am on the couch watching the fight with him. He doesn't have an air of superiority about him. If there was ever a guy who could think people should bow down to him, it would be The Colonel, but he's just not that way. He's kind, from Don King all the way down to the guy carrying the bucket into the corner for a fight."
While he has covered the World Series, Olympics, Super Bowl, Stanley Cup and NBA Finals during his career, Sheridan said boxing has always been his first love.
Two of the most memorable fights that he has worked are the 1995 Nigel Benn-Gerald McClellan super middleweight title fight in England and the 1993 Julio Cesar Chavez-Greg Haugen junior welterweight title fight in Mexico City.
Benn-McClellan "was the most brutal fight" Sheridan has ever seen. Ultimately, Benn stopped McClellan in the 10th round, and McClellan was left severely brain damaged.
"I was at Ray Mancini-Duk Koo Kim [in which Kim died], and it wasn't anywhere near as brutal as Benn-McClellan," Sheridan said. "McClellan showed a huge, huge heart. I have great admiration for the fighters. It's a really tough sport and Gerald paid a steep price, but he will never be forgotten."
Chavez-Haugen, Sheridan said, was the most memorable scene of any fight he has worked. It took place in front of more than 130,000 spectators in a bullring in Mexico City.
"It was so exciting to be there," Sheridan said. "Chavez was such a huge star. I remember that afternoon arriving at the stadium and there were already 30,000 or 40,000 people there. The noise that night was unbelievable. What a scene."
| “ | I had had the angioplasty and I felt good afterward, and I was on an emotional high. ... I had told the doc that I would appreciate it if he came to the fight with me. I told him I didn't want to die, but that if I did, I would die doing exactly what I loved doing. ” | |
| — Sheridan, on having heart surgery the night before calling Holyfield-Tyson II in 1997 |
Another memorable fight for Sheridan was the second Holyfield-Tyson heavyweight title fight in 1997 -- the fight Tyson made infamous by biting Holyfield's ears. But Sheridan's memories are not because of the action in the ring, or even for Tyson's gruesome chomps on Holyfield. It was memorable because of the circumstances surrounding Sheridan making it to the fight.
The night before the match, Sheridan suffered his third heart attack and underwent an angioplasty to relieve a blockage.
The next day, against the wishes of his doctor, Ram Singh, the dedicated Sheridan checked out of the hospital and was at ringside less than 24 hours after the procedure. Singh came to the card with Sheridan, who called the entire show with Singh at his side monitoring his blood pressure.
When the show was over, Sheridan was taken back to the hospital by ambulance and underwent another angioplasty.
"I didn't want to miss doing that fight," Sheridan said. "I had done the 'Thrilla in Manila' and been to Zaire, done Leonard fights and Hagler fights, all of those huge events. This was as big a heavyweight fight as there was. It was a huge event and I didn't want to miss it.
"I had had the angioplasty and I felt good afterward, and I was on an emotional high. I don't know if leaving the hospital to do that fight was the smartest thing I have ever done, but the doctor was there with me taking my blood pressure. I had told the doc that I would appreciate it if he came to the fight with me. I told him I didn't want to die, but that if I did, I would die doing exactly what I loved doing."
Hopper said that kind of decision shows just how dedicated Sheridan is to his sport.
"He took such a huge risk by doing that, but he's a true boxing guy," Hopper said. "How many other people would have done what he did? I'm not so sure he made the right decision but it is a testament of his love for the sport."
Sheridan said he was simply born to call boxing matches.
"I love what I do," he said. "The whole thing is unbelievable to me, that I have gotten to do this for as long as I have. I have the job I was born to do. I don't want it to end. I want to go on for at least another 10 years. I would love to get to 900 or 1,000 title fights."
Dan Rafael is the boxing writer for ESPN.com.
