Between boxing, ESPN Radio, and everything in between, Brian Kenny and Max Kellerman’s professional paths converged on multiple occasions during their respective careers at ESPN. Most notably, they co-hosted the radio show Kellerman and Kenny in New York City. Kenny later went on to host his show, The Brian Kenny Show, on ESPN Radio.
During a recent appearance on the Awful Announcing podcast, Kenny told host Brandon Contes that he “loved” working with Kellerman. Looking back, ESPN’s Friday Night Fights were what Kenny viewed as the “Golden Era,” as the pair had a blast working together.
“Max was a blast. My kids call him ‘Uncle Max.’ He’s been a good friend for a long time,” Kenny said. “And to work with Max in the studio and then have Teddy Atlas, and first, it was Bob Papa, then it was Joe Tessitore…Max’s brother, Sam, even always said, ‘You guys are going to look back and say this was the Golden Era.’ And we’re like, ‘What do you mean?’ He goes, ‘No, no. The great old days are happening right now.’ And sure enough, he was right.
“It was so much fun to work with those guys — they’re real characters, and they got to do it every single week. It was a fond, fond memory.”
After being laid off in June 2023, Kellerman has maintained a relatively low profile in the sports media landscape for over a year.
A long-time ESPN fixture, his tenure spanned from boxing commentary in the 1990s to his high-profile role on First Take alongside Stephen A. Smith. Despite their on-air dynamic, Smith publicly acknowledged challenges in their working relationship, ultimately leading to Kellerman’s departure from the show in September 2021.
Kellerman’s subsequent roles at ESPN, including the morning show Keyshawn, JWill & Max, were also short-lived. The show was phased out in early 2023, and his This Just In show was discontinued, coinciding with Kellerman’s exit and Pat McAfee’s arrival on the network.
“He’s on ice, as they say,” Kenny revealed. “He texted me because I reached out to him after that happened. I said, ‘That’s awful.’ And he said, ‘Hey, look, I’ll get paid for doing nothing. Best job I’ve ever had.’ It’s so strange in this era of corporate layoffs that they lay you off, and you can’t work, but they’ll pay you. You can’t do anything while they’re paying you.
“So, that’s where he’s at, and he will emerge. I don’t want to speak for him, but I think it’s later this year. He’ll emerge, and, look, he’s an intellect. He has a very good way of looking at things. He’ll be somewhere, and he’ll be listened to.”
The Brian Kenny episode of the AA podcast will be released Friday, July 18. Subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. For more content, subscribe to AA’s YouTube page.
About Sam Neumann
Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.