Everyone seems to know him, and he seems to be everywhere. Sixteen-hour days are typical. No one in the boxing business may work harder. The skinny guy with the quick wit has been involved with boxing for over 20 years in varied capacities. Most in boxing know Marc Abrams as the exhaustive PR guy who spins off press releases at a breakneck pace for Abrams Boxing. What most in boxing don’t know or fail to realize is that Abrams owns 15Rounds.com, and has been broadcasting fights for 16 years, beginning with the now-defunct GoFightLive in March 2008. What many also do not realize is that he is one of the first ringside streaming broadcasters in boxing. He’s done in upwards of 500 broadcasts and averages over 30 a year. He’s appeared on SNY and MSG out of New York, Comcast SportsNet in Philadelphia, WealthTV/AWE, Adam Glenn’s BXNGTV.com and Fite.TV.

He was ringside broadcasting Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez-Juan Francisco Estrada I for WealthTV in November 2012.

On Friday, June 9, Abrams will be getting what he defines as a huge break as the studio host for the Adrien “The Problem” Broner-Bill Hutchinson 10-round welterweight pay-per-view fight streamed live on Fite.TV, DonKing.com and Itube247.com. Abrams will team with former NFL All-Pro defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth on the studio portion, while Bob Alexander, former lightweight titlist Nate Campbell and Hall of Famer Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini handle the ringside broadcast.

Adrien Broner looks for another chance this weekend against journeyman Bill Hutchinson. (Photo by Amanda Westcott/Showtime)

Abrams, a BWAA courage award winner in 2019 with Adonis Stevenson, was given word on May 12.

“I was extremely excited to hear it, and by no means taking nothing away from the club-level shows, I’ve been starving for an opportunity to do a high-profile event like this,” said the Philly-based Abrams. “And I get to do this for the legendary Don King. To work for an incredible promoter, whose fight cards I watched as a kid, is a dream come true. This means everything to me, because I would love to carve out a career in broadcasting, and to be seen on an event of this magnitude goes a long way in showing people what I’m capable of doing behind a microphone.

“None of this happens without John Moceyunas, who I was doing work for in Nashville, Tennessee, on (Jimmy Adams’ monthly series) CountryBox: Where Music Meets Boxing. John liked the work I was doing, and he suggested me, and I got approval by King to be on the broadcast. It is one of those pinch-yourself moments, to have someone like Don King know who you are.”

Abrams had done some previous hosting assignments. Abrams and Haynesworth have a great rapport through their work together on the CountryBox Nashville broadcasts.

For years, Abrams felt typecast as “just a PR guy.”

“My passion was always to be on air, but I always felt I had the experience and knowledge to work in broadcasting, and I want to branch out more into broadcasting,” Abrams said. “I think there are a lot of people in boxing who don’t even realize that I’ve been doing this for 16 years at a pretty good level. It proves that I’m more than ‘just a PR guy.’ It bothers me, because I paid my dues, both on the writing side and broadcast side.

“It’s just that the broadcast side is becoming more prominent. And now I’m doing this Adrien Broner fight is big, because anything Adrien Broner does is big and demands attention. From what I’m hearing, working with his new trainer, Kevin Cunningham, Broner has been extremely disciplined and working his tail off. June 9th is Broner’s fight with Billy Hutchinson, and he believes he can beat Broner.”

This is the last stop motel for Broner (24-4-1, 24 knockouts). No one has ever questioned his ability. But he’s run through the gamut of promoters because Adrien Broner’s biggest opponent has always been Adrien Broner. Hutchinson (20-2-4, 9 KOs) is a light-fisted fighter who has primarily fought on the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania club level. This will be his first 10-round fight. His two losses have come in his pro debut, against Omar Doumbia, who has not fought in over 10 years, and a six-round decision to undefeated Amonte Eberhardt, who has not fought in two years. This will be Hutchinson’s first fight in 15 months and this will be Broner’s first fight, after numerous attempts to comeback, in 23 months.

“I think Broner has a lot left in the tank and Kevin Cunningham has come along at the right time,” Abrams said. “Kevin is a disciplinarian and exactly what Broner needs this time in his career. No one will dispute Adrien Broner is a talent. He knows what this means for him. The card also features Guillermo Rigondeaux, who is coming off a first-round knockout win, so it should be a great night of boxing.”

The 10-fight card will be held at the Casino Miami Jai Alai Fronton, through Don King Productions, in Miami, Florida, and is titled, “Return To Glory.”

The pay-per-view stream comes at a modestly priced $24.99, available on Fite.tv, DonKing.com and Itube247.com.

Broner’s antics come free.

Joseph Santoliquito is an award-winning sportswriter who has been working for Ring Magazine/RingTV.com since October 1997 and is the president of the Boxing Writers Association of America.
Follow @JSantoliquito

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