Though not directly involved in active competition, the role of the MC (Master of Ceremonies) should not be understated – the importance of which is not lost on Paul Booth.
If you are a fan of sports such as boxing and darts (as well as many others), there is a good chance that you will be familiar with Paul’s work. Having mostly worked in radio until the age of 38, he has been heard introducing some of the biggest names in the sporting world on BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5, Sky Sports, BoxNation, and Eurosport to name a few.
His crowning moment came on 23 September 2017 as he was the man on the mic for the WBO Heavyweight Title clash between Hughie Fury and Joseph Parker at a sold out Manchester Arena, a night that he admits is his greatest achievement as an MC.
“Any boxing MC aspires to do a world title fight of any nature,” Paul told Fen Regis Trophies. “It’s the pinnacle of any MC’s career to do a world heavyweight title fight, so I’m very proud to say I have achieved that.”
Working in Radio
Before becoming one of the UK’s most popular MCs, Paul was a radio DJ working on Red Rose Radio. So, working with a microphone was never going to be a daunting experience for Paul, who is a self-professed sports nut.
“I’ve always been a sport fan, watching anything from rugby league to boxing and football. It was a great progression of steps to take my experience of working on the microphone into sport.
“When I got to 38 I got into sport and it was brilliant. At 21, I used to play semi-professional football and I still enjoy playing most sports when I can now.
“I was 20 years old when I first got involved in radio. I worked in radio for about 12 years in total and it was good.
“It was a teenage passion to want to get into radio, it’s not an easy path to get in, but finally made it in as a 20-year-old and stayed in it for a dozen years. I’ve still got a radio anorak head on; I don’t think you ever lose it.”
Darts and Meeting Eric Bristow
The first sport that Paul found himself involved in was darts, firstly working with two-time world champion Adrian Lewis on the exhibition circuit before befriending the legendary Eric Bristow. From that moment on, Paul never looked back.
“I started working with Adrian [Lewis] and hosting these darts exhibitions, bringing a bit of fun with a few jokes and a bit of music.
“From Adrian Lewis, I started working with a few players and, at 39 years old, there was a new remake of the League of Legends with all the old players on Setanta Sports.
“I was lucky enough to be selected from a number of people to be the MC on it and that’s how I got introduced to the legends, all your old school players like Bobby George, John Lowe and, of course, ‘The Crafty Cockney’ Eric Bristow.
Bristow, a five-time world darts champion and largely considered the second greatest player of all time behind his protégé, Phil Taylor, was darting royalty. Paul quickly became close friends with ‘The Craft Cockney’, whom he used to watch on television as a child.
“I first met Eric 16 years ago now and met him again on the League of Legends. We did a couple of events for the title sponsor, and Eric and I really hit it off.
“I think the reason we hit it off is because you get what you see with both of us; there are no airs and graces with either of us. We were just two guys wanting to be the best at what we do.
“I remember watching Eric as a kid when I was 10 or 11 years old. I used to look up to him as a kid and we used to try to do ‘The Crafty Cockney’ throw…he was without a doubt one of my sporting heroes.
“The great saying is that you should never meet your heroes, but I’m certainly glad that I met mine.”
Sooner after wrapping up the League of Legends, Paul began touring with Bristow and would regularly travel up and down the United Kingdom, as well as Europe, together. That would continue to be the case until Bristow died suddenly of a heart attack on 5 April 2018 aged 60.
“We had done countless exhibitions together and became really, really good friends. We had many nights away together, shared hundreds of curries, and had some great times.
“It’s fair to say that even though I met at 38 years old, what that guy taught me in life was just unbelievable. He was an incredible human being.
“I miss him every day. I used to get 40 texts a day from him, I’d be with him three or four times a week and we’d be on the phone together all the time.
“He’s just someone I will dearly miss for the rest of my days.”
Boxing
While darts was Paul’s introduction into the world of sports, it is in boxing where he has arguably enjoyed his greatest success. For most people in sports, success is determined by the number of trophies and medals you have to show, but Paul sees things slightly differently.
“As far as boxing goes, I meet some amazing people. The best people I meet in boxing are without a doubt the boxers.
“Nobody realises when a boxer enters the sport and they commit their lives to it that that is exactly what they do, they do commit their lives to it.
“It’s from the first breath in the morning, going to training, they have got to be a hundred per cent committed to it. The respect that boxers have for themselves, the people around them, and for their sport is just absolutely fabulous.”
The risk that boxers make every time they step into the ring is not lost on Paul, and he feels a real sense of pride and duty every time he introduces a fighter. For Paul, a mismanaged or sloppy introduction can be the difference between a good and a bad night for a boxer.
“You’ve got to get your introduction right and you’ve got to get your research right. You’ve got to be prepared.
“I always go and talk to the boxer. You get an introduction given to you with names and statistics, but I always go and talk to the boxer and have a chat with him and say ‘this is how I plan to introduce you, are you happy with your introduction?’
“Seven or eight times out of 10, the boxer will turn around to me and say ‘I need you to change my nickname’ or ‘I need you to change where you are going to announce my hometown’.
“It is always about them. If you big them up then you are doing your job right. You’ve got to try and be inventive.”
Paul added: “It’s a very serious job, the role of a sports MC. You’re basically playing with people’s lives.
“There are people that get hurt in boxing…when you are doing an introduction for a boxer and you get it wrong, you don’t know how much that’s going to hurt them. You must get it right.”
Through sheer hard work, dedication, and passion for his craft, Paul’s gamble from leaving one highly competitive industry for another has more than paid off. His story serves as an inspiration not only for anyone with a burning desire to work in the world or sport, but also for those wondering whether they have left it too late to change careers and chase their dream.
By Aaron Gratton
