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Friday Night Fights Studio Host Brian Kenny Leaving ESPN

Brian Kenny will be leaving ESPN, and thus will no longer be part of Friday Night Fights.

ESPN Friday Night Fights studio host and occasional play-by-play man Brian Kenny is leaving ESPN, and is likely to be taking job at MLB Network. From USA Today:

Kenny will host his final SportsCenter in early September, confirmed ESPN spokesman Mike Soltys. "Brian did great work for us. His contract was up and he found a new opportunity," Soltys said Monday night.

In addition to -- and more accurately, more importantly than -- his boxing work for ESPN, Kenny was the host of a national radio show for ESPN, and was an anchor on Baseball Tonight, and a regular play-by-play man.

I will say that as a boxing fan, I'll miss having Brian Kenny on Friday Night Fights. He was a clued-in commentator who followed the sport, and a great interviewer who wasn't afraid to ask tough questions. He may be best-remembered by boxing fans for a confrontational, entertaining, head-to-head interview session with Floyd Mayweather Jr in 2009:

But in the grand scheme of things, while I do indeed like Brian Kenny, not much will change. He was already replaced several times this season as the studio host of Friday Night Fights, notably by Jonathan Coachman, so we've already sort of gotten used to him not being there. I don't know if Coachman (who was normally fine) or someone else will be the long-term replacement for Kenny on Friday Night Fights, but we'll find out in January, I guess.

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That was the best interview ive seen with floyd hahaha

by s2krazyyy on Aug 22, 2011 7:28 PM EDT reply actions  

Lame

It was nice having a host who actually knew the sport. You could tell Coachmen and the other guy they plugged in this season didn’t know fuck all, mispronouncing names and the like.

Most people don't know shit about boxing. At all. Period. - Roger Mayweather

by The Kittitas Kid on Aug 22, 2011 7:39 PM EDT reply actions  

Replace him with Kevin Connors

I think he’s good.

I went whale watching the other day. I think. There were a lot of people in that lake.

by SSreporters on Aug 22, 2011 8:21 PM EDT reply actions  

Fuck.. I am sad.

Fuck.. I am sad.I mean we are going to be left with the WWE guy who doesn’t know jackshit about boxing and reads everything from a prompter.

Fuck.. I am sad.I mean we are going to be left with the WWE guy who doesn’t know jackshit about boxing and reads everything from a prompter.Kenny loves the sport and hell knows everyone from Ironboy to Wald….

"Boxing is dirty," said Casamayor. " The day I’m not ready to be a dirty fighter is the day I don’t fight anymore because it will mean that I have no heart for it anymore."

by Zocalo on Aug 22, 2011 9:38 PM EDT reply actions  

Is this some kind of poem?

Anyway, Coachman was a sportscaster prior to ever being in WWE.

Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."

by Scott Christ on Aug 22, 2011 10:13 PM EDT up reply actions  

Coachman is not a PPV attraction!

"The bell that tolls for all in boxing belongs to a cash register."
-Bob Verdi

by Waldo Rastel on Aug 23, 2011 2:48 AM EDT up reply actions   1 recs

ALL DAY

Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."

by Scott Christ on Aug 23, 2011 1:40 PM EDT up reply actions  

BK is really good; not just at boxing, but as an overall commentator on sports. He’ll be missed on his nightly ESPN radio show.

I hope he can somehow maintain some connection with boxing. He’s too good to fade away.

by DPlainview on Aug 22, 2011 9:56 PM EDT reply actions  

this is as devastating to me as when

Bob costas left hbo for mlb network. God I hate baseball

I hate the Texans

by battle axe of doom on Aug 22, 2011 10:15 PM EDT via mobile reply actions  

I'm sad as well. I'd love a shot at that gig

"That was very funny about the old man basketball skills. One is lucky to escape injury when playing against those crafty, crusty sumbitches. And it’s just demoralizing when they demonstrate yet again how to use the backboard from range." - Charlie Custer

by SmittytheCutman on Aug 23, 2011 12:45 AM EDT reply actions  

they killed kenny

I hope we get another objective host like Brian Kenny, not some hack.

by Ron Paul 2012 on Aug 23, 2011 11:23 AM EDT reply actions  

I’ll miss Brian Kenny. Didn’t back down.

There is no safety in numbers, or in anything else--James Thurber, 1939

by BoxAnne on Aug 23, 2011 2:30 PM EDT reply actions  

In general, I liked Brian as commentator and miss his arguments with Floyd.

by jdoro63 on Aug 23, 2011 5:13 PM EDT reply actions  

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