Boxing Update: Curt Menefee Joins ShoBox Announcing Crew

ByBoxing Press

Veteran sportscaster Curt Menefee will join the ShoBox: The New Generation announce team, substituting for Nick Charles, the perennial host and play-by-play announcer who is currently battling bladder cancer.

Menefee will anchor the remaining ShoBox telecasts in 2009, joining color analyst Steve Farhood, beginning Friday, Oct. 2, when top-ranked super middleweight contender Allan Green (28-1, 20 KOs) takes on late replacement Tarvis Simms (25-0, 11 KOs) in a 10-round bout.

Also working the announce booth on Oct. 2 will be former light heavyweight kingpin Antonio Tarver who will be serving as guest commentator for his third stint on ShoBox.

“It’s an honor to be offered this role and to join the Showtime Sports family,” Menefee said. “As a boxing fan, I feel as though I just scored a knockout victory. After watching the network for decades, I am honored to be a small part of the tireless and talented Showtime Sports team.”

While Menefee is excited for the opportunity, he wishes Charles the best and hopes for a speedy recovery and return to ShoBox.

“I started as an intern at CNN in Atlanta in 1984 when Nick (Charles) and Fred Hickman were the hosts,” Menefee said. “It is difficult to hear what Nick is going through. I am pulling for him in this fight.”

Menefee is best known as studio host for Fox NFL Sunday alongside co-host Terry Bradshaw and studio analysts Howie Long, Jimmy Johnson and Michael Strahan.

An avid sports fan, Menefee began his career at FOX Sports in 1997 as a sideline reporter, and later moved to the game booth to call play-by-play for NFL and NFL Europe League coverage on FOX Sports and FSN.

Through his work at WNYW Fox5 and MSG in New York, Menefee established himself as one of the city’s most popular sportscasters.

Menefee has boxing broadcast experience, having provided ringside commentary for three international feeds for Top Rank, and is excited to work with Farhood.

“To have the opportunity to work on the ShoBox series with a historian like Steve Farhood is like taking a masters degree course from the professor who wrote the text book,” Menefee said. “I can’t wait to get started.”

The executive producer of ShoBox is Gordon Hall with Richard Gaughan producing and Rick Phillips directing.