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RIYADH: Radio Rahim, known as the voice of record in modern-day boxing, is a critically acclaimed sports journalist and ringside reporter from the US who is also widely recognized in Saudi Arabia.
He has attended many boxing events in the Kingdom, reporting on some big international fights. His debut was the 2019 contest between Andy Ruiz and Anthony Joshua. He also covered the Jake Paul vs. Tommy Fury fight and is set to cover the upcoming match between Tyson Fury and Francs Ngannou, which is scheduled for Oct. 28 in Riyadh.
“When I first came to the Kingdom … the thing that struck me first and foremost was how excited the fans and the citizenry were to have something like that in their backyard. Kids from 7 to 70 … were so thrilled to see superstars in the Kingdom, to see these big events on the big stages, the lights and the cameras,” Rahim said on “The Mayman Show.”
The Saudi events had inspired and fueled him, he said.
“The enthusiasm from the people is unmatched, like they’re enjoying the show, they’re enjoying the visitors … So that kind of energy and excitement and positivity all week long, not just on fight night, is something that when I return, I look forward to experiencing over and over again.”
Rahim said he had seen great progress in the development of all sports, not just boxing, in the Kingdom.
“Saudi is able to bring in other sports, the top of the line, the top competition, to the Kingdom. And on a consistent basis, we’re going to see the best of everything.”
Local people were seeing “the best of the best all the time, and I want to go over there and get some of that myself,” he said.
“Their trademark is that even the fights that can’t get made around the world, the fights that we’ve been waiting for … Saudi is able to make it happen.”
Rahim also praised the Saudi hospitality and highlighted the country’s great traditions, food, family and friendship bonds and desert activities. He even referenced his favorite restaurant: Smokey Beards in Riyadh.
“The one thing that I can always count on is hospitality from the very common man, from everybody who is there working and the people, who are just walking the streets on their own time in their own lives,” he said.
Rahim is also well known in the world of podcasts and recently launched a new season of his “Til This Day” show. In it he explores the lives of famous people, who talk about their vulnerabilities and discuss the hurdles they have had to overcome to get to where they are now.
The podcast was born during the COVID-19 pandemic and gave Rahim the opportunity to engage with the people he would typically encounter inside the ring in a different way. The weekly podcast is available on all the usual platforms and YouTube.
“I come honest, I come real,” he said. “I do what it is that I believe is organic … which comes from the spirit, comes from the heart. And I approach every interview that way and I respect the person I’m talking to, but also the situation that they’re in.”
Rahim knew from an early age that he had a passion for radio and boxing.
“I would call … radio stations and talk to the DJ just because I got an opportunity to hear my voice over the stereo,” he said.
Later, he realized how much potential there was in the sector.
“There was a passion. I had to do something that wasn’t being done, which was cover the sport of boxing, create video content out of the environment.”
That initial drive led to him covering boxing on a show called “Gym Wars,” co-hosted with the current editor-in-chief of Ring magazine, Doug Fischer.
Throughout Rahim’s career, Michael Buffer, an American announcer for combat sports, has been a source of inspiration.
“When I saw how he pursued his career and carved out that niche for himself, I thought I would follow suit, follow those footsteps and do the same,” he said.