Jim Lampley, the International Boxing Hall of Fame broadcaster who has called fights for HBO for 29 years, has signed a new multiyear agreement with the network to remain its primary voice of the sport, HBO announced on Monday.
Lampley, who has called many of the biggest moments in boxing history, will continue to serve as the blow-by-blow announcer for HBO's boxing franchises "World Championship Boxing," "Boxing After Dark" and its pay-per-view fights. Lampley will also continue to host his studio show, "The Fight Game with Jim Lampley."
"For nearly three decades, Jim has been the most prominent television voice in boxing," HBO Sports executive vice president Peter Nelson said. "His work is universally recognized as the standard in the sport and we are thrilled to know he will continue in this high visibility role for years to come. Jim's high journalistic standards, historical knowledge of the sport and enthusiasm for sharing the backstories of the fighters who enter the ring enriches the broadcast experience for the HBO audience."
Terms of Lampley's agreement were not announced but a source with knowledge of the agreement said it is a five-year extension.
Lampley, 68, is a four-time Sports Emmy Award winner who was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, New York, in June 2015. He called his first fight for HBO in March 1988 -- then-heavyweight world champion Mike Tyson's title defense against Tony Tubbs in Tokyo. Since then, Lampley has been behind the mic for virtually every major HBO and HBO pay-per-view telecast since.
"I'm very lucky to have spent nearly three decades working in HBO's unique culture, and grateful for the chance to keep doing it," Lampley said. "It's always been my natural home." Lampley, a lifelong boxing fan, began his broadcasting career at ABC in 1974 as a college football sideline reporter, called his first fight for ABC in 1986 (Tyson-Jesse Ferguson) before moving to HBO.