Education
Originally from Sheffield, Rawling was educated at King Edward VII School and Manchester University.
Originally from Sheffield, Rawling was educated at King Edward VII School and Manchester University.
Currently commentating for boxing on BoxNation, he was the lead commentator for Channel 4 in their award winning coverage of the 2012 Paralympics in London and the 2011 IAAF World Athletics Championships in of Korea. His commentary work included acting as lead commentator in the Americas Cup World Series. Previously, he was the main boxing commentator on Independent Television after boxing returned to the network in September 2005.
In 2007, he was named Sports Commentator of the Year by the Royal Television Society for his work in Independent Television Sport"s The Big Fight Live.
Subsequently he has commentated on boxing for Sky Television and Setanta. Rawling previously commentated on boxing and athletics for British Broadcasting Corporation, and was named Sony Sports Broadcaster of the Year in 1994.
He was the lead commentator at four Olympic Games from Barcelona in 1992 to Athens in 2004. He was covering major title fights for the British Broadcasting Corporation from 1987 until 2005.
He contributed some boxing commentary on British Broadcasting Corporation television
He also reported football matches, cricket and golf for British Broadcasting Corporation Rawling commentated for Setanta Sports, before it went into administration, alongside Richie Woodhall, who co-commentates on British Broadcasting Corporation at other times, and Steve Bunce. He has also commentated for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network on The Contender Series and on the Prime pay per view network. Rawling is currently commentating on boxing for BoxNation.
He has also commentated on football for various other broadcast organisations, including 2010 World Cup and Premier League for Talksport radio and he provides television commentaries for the Premier League, broadcast on their world feed.
John also commentates on darts for ITV4 and Entertainment and Sports Programming Network. He was lead commentator on the 2012 Paralympics in London for Channel 4 and also for the 2011 IAAF World Championship Channel 4 in Daegu, of Korea. Rawling became a presenter and commentator on the paid-subscription boxing channel BoxNation in September 2011.
He returned to British Broadcasting Corporation 5 Live to commentate on darts, in the 2014 Personal Digital Cellular World Championship final. Rawling has made frequent appearances on the British Broadcasting Corporation 5 Live sports punditry programme Fighting Talk since its first series, and has been known by the nicknames of "J.R." (after the character of J R Ewing on American soap opera Dallas) and "Psycho".
Channel 4 received a British Academy of Film and Television Arts for Best Live Sports Broadcast for their coverage of the Paralympics and also received a special award from the Royal Television Society. His long-term commentating partner on 5 Live, Duke McKenzie, a former world boxing champion at three weights, moved to Independent Television at the same time as Rawling. From the start of the 2007/08 season to 2008/09, John commentated for Independent Television on The Championship, the Sunday morning Football League highlights programme and was a regular contributor to Champions League and FA Cup broadcasts. Rawling will be commentator for the 2013 America"s Cup.
