Chris Algieri and Dan Canobbio bring authenticity to their boxing podcast and PPV.com ringside chats

Boxing returns to Barclays Center on Saturday night, and so do Long Islanders Chris Algieri and Dan Canobbio. It was the star power of lightweight champion Gervonta Davis (30-0) that landed this card in Brooklyn. But it was something arguably more powerful that landed Algieri and Canobbio at ringside.

Authenticity.

In their weekly boxing podcast, "Inside Boxing Live," Algieri and Canobbio connect with viewers in a way that made them feel part of the conversation. That approach was not lost on those who televise boxing.

"We, as boxing fans, have been following Chris and Dan for a long time,” said Dale Hopkins,  president and CEO of iNDEMAND and PPV.COM. "They live and breathe it. They are authentic and I wanted people like that associated with us at PPV.COM.”

On Saturday, Algieri and Canobbio will be part of a four-man team that provides insight and analysis for PPV.COM’s exclusive Viewer Chat. They will be joined at ringside by Lance Pugmire and Hall of Fame broadcaster Jim Lampley to offer observations about the fights and answer viewer questions in real time throughout the telecast. The card is being streamed on Amazon Prime and is available online at PPV.COM. The Viewer Chat feature is offered by PPV.com on many high-profile cards, including the recent Dmitry Bivol-Artur Beterbiev and David Benavidez-David Morrell shows.

If that seems like a less traditional means of reaching their audience, it doesn’t faze Canobbio and Algieri. They’ve been taking non-traditional paths their entire careers.

Huntington’s Algieri came to boxing after winning two world kickboxing championships. A college graduate with a master’s degree in nutrition, Algieri focused on the importance of diet and prioritized strength and conditioning in his training. He wasn’t easily winning over the traditional steak-and-eggs boxing crowd. But his dedication to those training methods paid off. In 2014, Algieri beat Ruslan Provodnikov at the Barclays Center to win the WBO junior welterweight title. That led to a mega fight with Manny Pacquiao later that year.

Watching all of this was Lampley, who called the Provodnikov and Pacquiao fights for HBO.

“In the meeting prior to his Provodnikov fight, Algieri carefully and systematically articulated a detailed plan for how to deconstruct an accomplished career brawler, which Provodnikov certainly was, and then impressively pursued the plan to perfection,” said Lampley “I emerged with concrete respect for his analytical genius and self-possession, both qualities he brings to ringside for PPV.COM.”

Algieri’s broadcasting career, like his fighting career, began with kickboxing. While recovering from a knee injury after fighting Errol Spence, Algieri started calling kickboxing bouts for Bellator with Bruce Beck. Algieri continued to box professionally but was encouraged by the experience and knew he’d pursue a career in television once he left the ring.

“The thing about Chris, everything he does, he does it one hundred percent,” said Canobbio. “He just has that mentality. When he locks in on something, he’s completely locked in.”

Like boxing, broadcasting for Algieri, 40, is all about the preparation and he’s made a career out of it. His current full-time gig is calling fights for ProBox TV.

“A lot of people think athletes get these jobs and it’s just an extension of what they’ve been doing their whole life,” Algieri said. “No, it's a tremendous amount of work. I put in hours and hours for every single show that I've ever done. I watch a lot of video. I’m in my room watching fights or I'm on the treadmill watching fights. I always want to be prepared.”

Canobbio was exposed to big-time boxing at a young age. Over 40 years ago, his father, Bob, founded Compubox, the computerized system that counts punches thrown and landed during the course of a fight. It's been used by most major networks and streaming services.

Dan Canobbio, who grew up in Manorville, knew he wanted to be in front of the camera but always found himself behind the scenes. He made career stops at Major League Baseball, Bleacher Report and JomBoy Media, working as a producer, researcher or video editor.

“It's really hard to break in,” said Canobbio. “Some of the jobs I had were really fun and it’s easy to settle into that. I could have just said this is what I am going to do. But my Dad would tell me, ‘You're selling yourself short, you're very good on camera and you should pursue it.’ He pushed me to start my own boxing show.”

In 2017, Canobbio launched "Inside Boxing Live" and quickly became known in boxing circles for the passion he brought to covering the sport. In 2022, he asked Algieri to join the podcast.

“Dan never took no for answer,” Algieri said. “He just kept grinding. It's really cool for me to see him grow because I've seen it firsthand. Now everyone is seeing it.”

Count Jake Paul among them. Paul started following Canobbio, which led to him working on-air for Netflix and DAZN.

“I’ve had doubts just like everyone else," said Canobbio, 37. "But I'm glad that I stuck with it.”

Gervonta Davis vs. Lamont Roach among a quartet of belts on the line

The card on Saturday night will feature four world title fights

• WBA super lightweight champion José Valenzuela vs. Gary Antuanne Russell
• WBC super lightweight champion Alberto Puello vs. Sandor Martín
• Yoenis Téllez vs. Julian Williams for the interim WBA super welterweight belt
• WBA lightweight title Gervonta Davis vs. reigning WBA super featherweight king Lamont Roach