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Max Kellerman (born August 6, 1973) is an American sports television personality and
boxing Boxing is a combat sport and martial art. Taking place in a boxing ring, it involves two people – usually wearing protective equipment, such as boxing glove, protective gloves, hand wraps, and mouthguards – throwing Punch (combat), punch ...
commentator. Until his departure from
ESPN ESPN (an initialism of their original name, which was the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by the Walt Disney Company (80% and operational control) and Hearst Commu ...
in June 2023, he was the host of '' This Just In with Max Kellerman'' and the co-host of ''Keyshawn, JWill and Max'' on
ESPN Radio ESPN Radio, which is alternatively branded platform-agnostically as ESPN Audio, is an American sports radio network and extension of the ESPN television network. It was launched on January 1, 1992, under the banner "SportsRadio ESPN". The netw ...
. He previously was a co-host of ESPN talk show '' First Take'' alongside Stephen A. Smith and Molly Qerim. He also previously was the co-host of the sports radio talk show ''Max & Marcellus'', with
Marcellus Wiley Marcellus Vernon Wiley Sr. (born November 30, 1974) is an American sportscaster and former professional football player. He played as a defensive end for 10 seasons in the National Football League (NFL) with the Buffalo Bills, San Diego Charger ...
, on ESPNLA. Kellerman hosted the ESPN panel talk show '' Around the Horn'' from the show's inception in 2002 until 2004 and co-hosted the sports comedy talk show '' SportsNation'', alongside Wiley and
Michelle Beadle Michelle Denise Beadle (born October 23, 1975) is an American sports reporter and host who is part of the San Antonio Spurs broadcast team. Beadle was formerly the co-host of the ESPN morning sports show '' Get Up!'' along with Jalen Rose and ...
, from 2013 until 2016. He was also a studio commentator with Brian Kenny on '' Friday Night Fights'' and a
color commentator A color commentator or expert commentator is a sports commentator who assists the main (play-by-play) commentator, typically by filling in when play is not in progress. The person may also be referred to as a summariser (outside North America) ...
for ''
HBO World Championship Boxing ''HBO World Championship Boxing'' (in later years stylized in its title card as ''HBO Boxing – World Championship'') is an American sports television series on premium television network HBO. It premiered on January 22, 1973, with a fight that ...
'' and '' Boxing After Dark''.


Career


Sports broadcasting

Kellerman's first broadcasting experience was as a teenager on a New York City
public-access television Public-access television (sometimes called community-access television) is traditionally a form of non-commercial mass media where the general public can create content television programming which is Narrowcasting, narrowcast through cable tele ...
cable TV program on professional boxing called ''Max on Boxing''. Given the medium, the show was quite simple but nevertheless caught the attention of the boxing community, including a young
Mike Tyson Michael Gerard Tyson (born June 30, 1966) is an American former professional boxer who competed between 1985 and 2024. Nicknamed "Iron Mike" and "Kid Dynamite" in his early career, and later known as "the Baddest Man on the Planet", Tyson i ...
. In the late 1990s after graduating from
Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...
with a degree in history, Kellerman was hired as an analyst on
ESPN ESPN (an initialism of their original name, which was the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by the Walt Disney Company (80% and operational control) and Hearst Commu ...
's boxing series '' Friday Night Fights'' where he met future radio partner Brian Kenny. In November 2002 he was given his own show and, influenced by ''
Pardon the Interruption ''Pardon the Interruption'' (abbreviated ''PTI'') is an American sports talk television program, television show that airs weekdays primarily on ESPN but can air on various TV channels in the event of live sports or breaking news. It is hosted by ...
'', became the architect and original host of ESPN's '' Around the Horn''. While the show was incredibly popular, Kellerman and ESPN could not reach an agreement for him to remain with the network, and Kellerman left the network in early 2004 to host a new show called '' I, Max'' on
Fox Sports Net Fox Sports Networks (FSN), formerly known as Fox Sports Net, was the collective name for a group of regional sports channels in the United States. Formed in 1996 by News Corporation, the networks were acquired by the Walt Disney Company on Mar ...
. He would discuss sports news with
Michael Holley Michael S. Holley (born February 26, 1970) is an American television and radio sports commentator, sports reporter, author and a professor at Boston University https://www.bu.edu/com/profile/michael-holley/. He formerly wrote columns for the ''B ...
, former ''Around the Horn'' panelist, and Bill Wolff. Max took time off from the show after the death of his brother. He later returned, but despite his show garnering the network's highest ratings for a period of time, it was canceled by Fox. The last ''I, Max'' show aired on February 18, 2005. Max also was the co-host of
Spike TV Paramount Network is an American basic cable television channel and the flagship property of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global, who operates it through the MTV Entertainment Group. The network's headquarters are locate ...
's 2006 series, '' King of Vegas''. In 2005,
Tucker Carlson Tucker Swanson McNear Carlson (born May 16, 1969) is an American conservative political commentator who hosted the nightly political talk show '' Tucker Carlson Tonight'' on Fox News from 2016 to 2023. Since his contract with Fox News was term ...
announced that Kellerman would be a permanent contributor on his
MSNBC MSNBC is an American cable news channel owned by the NBCUniversal News Group division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. Launched on July 15, 1996, and headquartered at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in Manhattan, the channel primarily broadcasts r ...
show '' Tucker''. On a segment of the show called "The Outsider", Kellerman generally took the position selected by Carlson. Frequently, Carlson introduced Kellerman with a bio containing a humorously enthusiastic compliment. The show was canceled in March 2008. Starting in the week of August 21, 2006, Kellerman did at least two nights of audition shows at 7 pm for WEPN, a
ESPN Radio ESPN Radio, which is alternatively branded platform-agnostically as ESPN Audio, is an American sports radio network and extension of the ESPN television network. It was launched on January 1, 1992, under the banner "SportsRadio ESPN". The netw ...
station in New York City, hosting one night with Sid Rosenberg. On August 28, 2006, it was announced that Brandon Tierney would be taking over at 7 pm, which temporarily left Kellerman without a timeslot. On October 23, 2006, Max began hosting the 10 am to noon program on WEPN, replacing ESPN's nationally broadcast Colin Cowherd program. In September 2007, Kellerman began hosting a third hour, extending the show to 1 pm. Two months later,
ESPNEWS ESPNews (pronounced "ESPN News," stylized ESPNEWS) is an American multinational digital cable and satellite television network owned by ESPN Inc., a joint venture between The Walt Disney Company (which owns a controlling 80% stake) and Hear ...
and
SportsCenter ''SportsCenter'' (SC) is an American television sports news broadcasting show broadcast by ESPN. Originally anchored by Chris Berman, George Grande,  Greg Gumbel, Lee Leonard, Bob Ley, Sal Marchiano and Lou Palmer, it premiered on Septem ...
host Brian Kenny joined the show as co-host. On February 4, 2008, the show was added to
XM Radio XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. (XM) was one of the three satellite radio ( SDARS) and online radio services in the United States and Canada, operated by Sirius XM Holdings. It provided pay-for-service radio, analogous to subscription cable t ...
on
ESPN Xtra ESPN Radio, which is alternatively branded platform-agnostically as ESPN Audio, is an Radio in the United States, American Sports radio, sports radio network and extension of the ESPN television network. It was launched on January 1, 1992, under ...
. In the fall of 2008, Kenny left the radio program to attend to his SportsCenter duties and the program was again named ''The Max Kellerman Show''. Kellerman and ESPN Radio mutually ended their relationship on March 9, 2009. Evening host Brandon Tierney temporarily filled in Kellerman, and Colin Cowherd took his timeslot. Kellerman continued his boxing broadcast work at
HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television service, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is based a ...
. He was originally hired for the network's '' Boxing After Dark'' telecasts, working alongside Fran Charles and
Lennox Lewis Lennox Claudius Lewis (born 2 September 1965) is a British-Canadian boxing commentator and former professional boxer who competed in the heavyweight division from 1989 to 2003. He was a three-time world champion, a two-time lineal champion, ...
. In 2007, Kellerman moved up to the ''
HBO World Championship Boxing ''HBO World Championship Boxing'' (in later years stylized in its title card as ''HBO Boxing – World Championship'') is an American sports television series on premium television network HBO. It premiered on January 22, 1973, with a fight that ...
'' main team alongside
Jim Lampley James Lampley (born April 8, 1949) is an American sportscaster, news anchor, film producer, and restaurant owner. He is best known as a blow-by-blow announcer on ''HBO World Championship Boxing'' for 30 years. He covered a record 14 Olympic ...
,
Harold Lederman Harold Lederman (January 26, 1940 – May 11, 2019) was an American boxing judge and analyst. He began his career as a boxing judge in 1967 and joined the cast of '' HBO World Championship Boxing'' in 1986, and was there until HBO dropped boxin ...
, and a rotating guest analyst, usually
Roy Jones Jr. Roy Levesta Jones Jr. (born January 16, 1969) is an American professional boxer. He has held multiple world championships in four weight classes, including middleweight, super middleweight, light heavyweight and heavyweight. As an amateur he r ...
or Emanuel Steward. On May 12, 2010, it was announced Kellerman had been hired by
CNN Cable News Network (CNN) is a multinational news organization operating, most notably, a website and a TV channel headquartered in Atlanta. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable ne ...
: "Kellerman will weigh in on sports and pop culture issues on ''CNN American Morning'' and other programs. He has previously served as a contributor to MSNBC." Kellerman was announced in December 2010 as the new midday host at ESPN Radio station KSPN in
Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
, alongside former NFL player co-host
Marcellus Wiley Marcellus Vernon Wiley Sr. (born November 30, 1974) is an American sportscaster and former professional football player. He played as a defensive end for 10 seasons in the National Football League (NFL) with the Buffalo Bills, San Diego Charger ...
, replacing LA Sports Live with Andrew Siciliano and former NBA player Mychal Thompson. Program director Mike Thompson (no relation to Mychal Thompson), who hired Kellerman, had worked with Kellerman at WEPN. In May 2015, Kellerman covered the Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Manny Pacquiao boxing match for HBO. He received criticism online for his post-match interview with
Manny Pacquiao Emmanuel Dapidran Pacquiao Sr. ( ; ; born December17, 1978) is a Filipino politician, businessman, and professional boxer. Nicknamed "PacMan", he is widely regarded as one of the greatest professional boxers of all time. He previously serv ...
. ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'' stated that his line of questioning was, "interpreted as patronizing" as his wording to Pacquiao was "You thought you won today, Why?" However, Kellerman retorted that he "had to ask him" about his disagreement with the judges' adjudication. Kellerman replaced Skip Bayless on ESPN's '' First Take'' as co-analyst alongside Stephen A. Smith and host Molly Qerim, effective July 25, 2016. With HBO leaving the boxing business at the end of 2018, Kellerman signed a multiyear contract with ESPN which greatly expanded his role in the network's boxing coverage. However, in contrast to his color-commentary role with HBO, for ESPN he presided over network coverage from the broadcast desk rather than at ringside. Kellerman departed from ''First Take'' in September 2021 after Stephen A. Smith requested his removal, citing a lack of chemistry necessary for the show’s long-term success. Kellerman was subsequently laid off from ESPN in June 2023.


Acting

Kellerman made a brief appearance in the 2006 film ''
Rocky Balboa Robert "Rocky" Balboa (also known by his ring name the Italian Stallion) is a fictional character and the titular protagonist of the ''Rocky'' franchise. The character was created by Sylvester Stallone, who has also portrayed him in eight of ...
'' alongside Lampley and Merchant, who served as the broadcast team for the fight between Rocky and Mason "The Line" Dixon. He would also make an appearance in the 2015 film ''
Creed A creed, also known as a confession of faith, a symbol, or a statement of faith, is a statement of the shared beliefs of a community (often a religious community) which summarizes its core tenets. Many Christian denominations use three creeds ...
'', as the reporter interviewing Donnie Creed at the conclusion of his fight with "Pretty" Ricky Conlan. Kellerman played himself in the short film ''The Wedding Bout''. Kellerman played himself in '' Real Husbands of Hollywood''.


Personal life

Kellerman was born in
The Bronx The Bronx ( ) is the northernmost of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It shares a land border with Westchester County, New York, West ...
, and grew up in the
Greenwich Village Greenwich Village, or simply the Village, is a neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City, bounded by 14th Street (Manhattan), 14th Street to the north, Broadway (Manhattan), Broadway to the east, Houston Street to the s ...
area of New York City. He graduated from New York City's PS 41 in Greenwich Village,
Hunter College High School Hunter College High School is a public academic magnet secondary school located in the Carnegie Hill section of the Upper East Side of Manhattan. It is administered and funded by Hunter College of the City University of New York (CUNY) and no t ...
in 1991 and, later,
Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...
in 1998. His younger brother Sam was a freelance writer who also covered professional boxing. In 2004, Sam's body was found inside his apartment in Los Angeles. As a result of the ensuing investigation, former boxer James Butler was arrested and charged with Sam's murder. He later confessed to voluntary manslaughter and arson and was given a 29-year sentence. Kellerman and his wife have three daughters. Kellerman pointed out on ''Tucker'' that "Max" is not short for anything, and that he does not have a middle name. He is active in
Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...
cultural activities and, according to ''
The Forward ''The Forward'' (), formerly known as ''The Jewish Daily Forward'', is an American news media organization for a Jewish American audience. Founded in 1897 as a Yiddish-language daily socialist newspaper, ''The New York Times'' reported that Set ...
'' and the Yiddish Book Center, speaks
Yiddish Yiddish, historically Judeo-German, is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated in 9th-century Central Europe, and provided the nascent Ashkenazi community with a vernacular based on High German fused with ...
. A
hip hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...
fan, evidenced by his intro music on his ESPN Radio show, Kellerman's favorite artists include the
Wu-Tang Clan Wu-Tang Clan is an American hip hop collective formed in Staten Island, New York City, in 1992. Its members include RZA, GZA, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, Masta Killa, and, until his death in 2004, O ...
, having stated on his radio show that
Raekwon Corey Woods (born January 12, 1970), better known by his stage name Raekwon ( ), is an American rapper. He rose to prominence as a founding member of the hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan, which achieved mainstream success following the release of the ...
's '' Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...'' is one of his favorite albums. He was a member of a hip-hop group with his brother Sam, under the name "Max and Sam". They were signed under Columbia Records in 1994 and recorded a music video titled "Young Man Rumble". Kellerman has a small permanent scar on the left side of his mouth from a childhood accident with an electrical outlet. Kellerman is a fan of the
New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...
and
New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...
.


References


External links


ESPN MediaZone profile
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Kellerman, Max 1974 births Living people 20th-century American rappers American rappers American sports radio personalities American television talk show hosts American boxing commentators Columbia College (New York) alumni Columbia Records artists ESPN people Hunter College High School alumni Jewish American sports journalists Jewish rappers Radio programs on XM Satellite Radio American secular Jews