During the golden age of boxing from 1964 – 1995, HBO was one of the major players in promoting and programming live productions of major boxing events…..for this was the period in which MONEY really came into the sport of boxing….and this MONEY drove many of the really great athletes into the pugilistic sport of boxing. This golden era encompassed the beginning of MONEY entering the boxing game….and it was all driven by television….for as television matured through the 1950’s and into the early 1960’s…..the major networks “made hay while the sun was shining” during the entire golden era of boxing….by promoting major bouts between a plethera of great to super great to legendary boxers….whose careers exploded as a result of TV MONEY.
Boxing became the hottest ticket around….as boxing productions exploded onto the program schedules of HBO, ABC, NBC, CBS, ESPN, USA and more….thanks to the MONEY that was thrown at the sport during this era….as evidenced by the future legendary boxing sportscaster teams of Marv Albert & Dr. Ferdie Pacheco (NBC)….Tim Ryan & Gil Clancy (CBS)….Howard Cosell, Keith Jackson and Chris Schelkel (ABC)….Al Bernstein & Alex Wallau (ESPN)….and Barry Tompkins, Sugar Ray Leonard and Larry Merchant (HBO)….just to name a few….and what about Don Dunphy, Don Chevrier and Jim Lampley….for this golden age of boxing was also the golden age of boxing sportscasters.
One of the boxing programs that was often produced during the golden age….was the follow-up live in studio programs that most of the networks who produced world title fights….where the studio brought together the combatants along with the sportscasters who covered the fight, into the studio to “break-down and discuss” various pertinant aspects of the fight….and nobody did this better than HBO….as evidenced by this live in studio telecast following the history making world heavyweight title fight between Iron Mike Tyson….who going into the fight was 37 – 0. while destroying dang near every fighter he had faced….when James “Buster” Douglas, who was 29 – 4 – 1 going into the ring shocked the world with a 10th round KO of the fighter many thought unbeatable.
This live in studio review of the fight as produced by HBO…..was insightful and riveting….and well worth the watch.
