Boxing Announcer Chris Schenkel Dies at 82

[StingerKarl]

I just watched his call of Cassius Clay-Doug Jones yesterday and found out he died Sunday.
I really liked Chris a lot as an announcer with his smooth baritone voice and non hyper delivery.
He called some major fights including Liston-Patterson, and Mike Weaver KO of Carl "Truth" Williams-(a classic call) but my favorite was his job of covering Mike Rossman's bringing the lightheavyweight title back to America with his 13th round TKO of Victor Galindez in New Orleans.
I even used to watch his Professional Bowler's Tour coverage before the big fights on Saturday afternoon's Wide World of Sports. He wasn't a smarmy self-professed know-it-all with a tuxedo on at ringside who thought he was something special like our present group of announcers on major pay networks. He just called the action as he saw it. He wasn't as good as Don Dunphy; but he was better than Steve Ellis or Jack Drees and Chris was light years better than Howard Cosell ever was.
Karl

[timayres]

Yeah, Chris was fine by me too. I liked Tim Ryan a lot too. Neither of the loud hype variety. [Which Lampley IMO has taken to new heights following Cosell.]

In the obit on ABC they said he was as nice off camera as he was on. I remember seeing part of his character after he called the Tate-Bobick fight. I think, and correct me if I am wrong, it was this fight that Cosell was following him with the next bout, and during the between period they sat together at ringside on camera to recap the Tate bout. Cosell at one point leaned over to him and said something like "Wouldn't you agree that Bobick was totally overmatched?", and Schenkel looked down sheepishly and said "Yes, Howard". I sensed he felt bad for Bobick and did not want to rub it in, so why state the obvious. A difference between the two shown right there on camera.

Thanks for the mention of this, Karl.

Tim

[TheSentinel]

I was sad to learn of the passing of Chris Schenkel this weekend. I always enjoyed his pleasant, humble manner. He wasn't like the loud, self-important shills you see far too often on t.v. He didn't know a great deal about bowling- nor did he pretend to know the nuances of the game- he left it to Billy Welu and Bo Burton. He was quite adept at announcing football, boxing etc. I remember his last telecast of the PBA in June of 97. Chris and Bo Burton broke down crying- it was quite moving. May he rest in peace.