Mike Coppinger

Mike Coppinger
Mike Coppinger, Senior Insider at The Ring
OccupationsSports journalist, boxing analyst
Years active2010–present
Employer(s)The Ring Magazine, DAZN
AwardsBWAA First Place: Investigative Reporting (2019)
BWAA First Place: News Story (2019)

Mike Coppinger is an American boxing journalist and Senior Insider for The Ring Magazine. He is a co-host of the program Inside The Ring on DAZN alongside Max Kellerman.[1] He is an elector for the International Boxing Hall of Fame and a recipient of multiple Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA) Bernie Awards.[2][3] He was previously the lead boxing reporter for ESPN from 2021 to 2025.

Career

Early career (2010–2019)

Coppinger studied journalism at George Mason University.[2] He began his career covering boxing as a freelancer for USA Today in 2010, reporting on events from ringside.[2] He served as the publication's lead boxing writer from 2015 to 2017 before moving to The Ring as lead boxing reporter until 2019.[2][4]

Fox Sports (2018–2019)

From 2018 to 2019, Coppinger served as a featured insider and analyst for the Fox studio program Inside PBC Boxing. He appeared on the weekly show alongside host Kate Abdo and former world champions Shawn Porter and Abner Mares.[5]

The Athletic and digital media (2019–2020)

In 2019, Coppinger joined The Athletic as a senior boxing writer.[2] During this period, he co-hosted The Pug and Copp Boxing Show with Lance Pugmire[6] and provided news and analysis regarding boxing and mixed martial arts across multiple digital media platforms.[7]

ESPN (2021–2025)

Coppinger joined ESPN as a boxing reporter and analyst in July 2021.[8] During his tenure, he served as a regular analyst for the ESPN+ program State of Boxing, co-hosting the weekly show alongside Timothy Bradley Jr. and Bernardo Osuna from 2021 to 2025.[9] In October 2023, he signed a multi-year contract extension with the network to continue his role as a lead boxing insider.[9]

The Ring and DAZN (2025–present)

Coppinger returned to The Ring in April 2025 as Senior Insider and broadcast contributor.[10] In September 2025, he began co-hosting the weekly studio show Inside The Ring on DAZN alongside Max Kellerman, and served as a desk analyst for the global Netflix broadcast of Saul "Canelo" Álvarez vs. Terence Crawford.[11][12] In January 2026, Coppinger joined the broadcast team for the inaugural events of Zuffa Boxing, serving as a studio desk analyst alongside Molly Qerim and Antonio Tarver for the venture's debut on Paramount+.[13]

In addition to his studio work, Coppinger transitioned into a primary ringside role for The Ring's live event series on DAZN throughout 2025. In May, he served as a color commentator for the publication's outdoor event in Times Square, working alongside Jim Lampley and Antonio Tarver.[14] He continued providing ringside analysis for The Ring III at Louis Armstrong Stadium in July, and later served as an analyst in Riyadh for The Ring IV: Night of Champions in November and The Ring V: Night of the Samurai in December, working the broadcast and press events alongside Claudia Trejos and Sergio Mora.[15]

Media coverage

In October 2021, Coppinger was involved in a public dispute with Top Rank chairman Bob Arum during a media event.[16] In June 2022, Floyd Mayweather Jr. publicly challenged reporting by Coppinger regarding the scheduling of an Errol Spence Jr. vs. Terence Crawford bout.[17]

In July 2023, Coppinger was denied credentials to cover the Spence–Crawford fight by Premier Boxing Champions (PBC). The organization did not provide a public reason for the denial, which was reported by several sports media outlets.[18][19]

Awards and recognition

Coppinger has received multiple honors from the Boxing Writers Association of America. In 2019, he won First Place in both the "Investigative Reporting" and "News Story" categories.[3] In 2021, he received Third Place for "Event Coverage" for his reporting on Manny Pacquiao and an Honorable Mention for Investigative Reporting.[20] In addition to his writing awards, Coppinger is an elector for the International Boxing Hall of Fame.[2]

References

  1. ^ Idec, Keith (September 9, 2025). "Weekly Boxing Show Co-Hosted By Max Kellerman, Mike Coppinger Premieres On DAZN". The Ring Magazine. Retrieved December 24, 2025.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Nagle, Dave (July 1, 2021). "Noted Boxing Reporter Mike Coppinger Joins ESPN". ESPN Press Room. Retrieved December 24, 2025.
  3. ^ a b Santoliquito, Joseph (April 14, 2020). "Kriegel, Coppinger and Borges top the list of BWAA writing award winners". BWAA. Retrieved December 24, 2025.
  4. ^ "Respected Boxing Insider Mike Coppinger Joins The Ring". The Ring Magazine. April 1, 2025. Retrieved December 24, 2025.
  5. ^ "FOX Sports Premieres INSIDE PBC BOXING this Saturday". Fox Sports Press Pass. December 13, 2018. Retrieved January 19, 2026.
  6. ^ "The Pug and Copp Boxing Show". Apple Podcasts. The Athletic. Retrieved December 24, 2025.
  7. ^ Bucholtz, Andrew (July 1, 2021). "Mike Coppinger has joined ESPN as a boxing/MMA analyst after time at The Athletic". Awful Announcing. Retrieved December 24, 2025.
  8. ^ Nagle, Dave (July 1, 2021). "Noted Boxing Reporter Mike Coppinger Joins ESPN". ESPN Press Room. Retrieved January 19, 2026.
  9. ^ a b BSM Staff (October 26, 2023). "ESPN Signs Boxing Insider and Analyst Mike Coppinger to Extension". Barrett Media. Retrieved January 19, 2026.
  10. ^ "Respected Boxing Insider Mike Coppinger Joins The Ring". The Ring. April 1, 2025. Retrieved January 27, 2026.
  11. ^ "Weekly Boxing Show Co-Hosted By Max Kellerman, Mike Coppinger Premieres On DAZN". The Ring. September 9, 2025. Retrieved January 27, 2026.
  12. ^ Akopyan, Manouk (August 22, 2025). "Netflix Sets All-Star Broadcast Team For Canelo-Crawford Superfight". The Ring. Retrieved January 27, 2026.
  13. ^ Clapp, Matt (January 22, 2026). "Molly Qerim to host Zuffa Boxing in first job after ESPN exit". Awful Announcing. Retrieved January 27, 2026.
  14. ^ "Finding his voice: Jim Lampley returns to DAZN's mic for Times Square card". BoxingScene. April 30, 2025. Retrieved January 27, 2026.
  15. ^ "The Ring's Riyadh Season Expansion: Night of the Samurai Coverage". The Ring. December 15, 2025. Retrieved January 27, 2026.
  16. ^ Taylor, Christopher (October 7, 2021). "VIDEO: Bob Arum unleashes tirade on reporter Mike Coppinger". MMA Mania. Retrieved December 24, 2025.
  17. ^ "Floyd Mayweather says reported date for Spence–Crawford fight "not true"". Marca. June 4, 2022. Retrieved December 24, 2025.
  18. ^ Harrish, Kevin (July 29, 2023). "ESPN top boxing reporter has credential blocked for major fight". Awful Announcing. Retrieved December 24, 2025.
  19. ^ Cohen, Andrew (July 28, 2023). "ESPN's Mike Coppinger Blocked from Covering Spence–Crawford fight". Front Office Sports. Retrieved December 24, 2025.
  20. ^ "The BWAA is proud to announce its 2021 Bernie Award winners". BWAA. June 26, 2022. Retrieved December 24, 2025.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.