Mario Lopez Takes Over ‘Inside The Ring’ As Boxing Show Reshuffles For Season 2

Mario Lopez has become the ultimate TV host, from Saved by the Bell to Access Hollywood to Inside the Ring.

Mario Lopez is stepping into a new hosting role, bringing his entertainment television experience and longtime interest in boxing to Inside the Ring as the series changes its lineup for its second season.

Lopez succeeds Max Kellerman on the DAZN boxing program, with Kellerman and analyst LeSean McCoy not returning, according to Front Office Sports. Boxing insider Mike Coppinger remains with the show, which streams twice weekly on DAZN Boxing and The Ring’s YouTube channels. 

The appointment gives the franchise a recognizable television personality whose connection to the sport extends beyond celebrity appearances. Lopez has trained at Freddie Roach’s Wild Card Boxing Club and co-hosted The 3 Knockdown Rule podcast with boxing journalist Steve Kim. His résumé also includes guest commentary on boxing broadcasts. 

Best known to generations of viewers as A.C. Slater on Saved by the Bell, Lopez brings a different presentation style to a program previously anchored by Kellerman’s sports broadcasting background. Pairing an experienced entertainment host with Coppinger’s reporting offers a potential route to a broader audience while preserving the show’s connection to boxing news and analysis.

The personnel changes leave questions about the decision behind the overhaul. Front Office Sports reported that representatives for producer Omaha Productions and DAZN had not immediately responded to requests for comment when its story was published. No explanation for the departures was provided in that report. 

For Lopez, the assignment adds another hosting platform to an established television career. For Inside the Ring, the challenge is turning that familiar face into appointment viewing for an audience that expects both personality and authority on the sport.