Well,I suppose that is part of writing this type of "journalism" (I don't presume that I am a "journalist" for the record) and my opinion is what makes this boat float,so I'll give it a shot.Reading the three part series (Parts 1,2 and 3 )on HBO Sports and the hold that it has on the professional Boxing game (and Showtime as well to a far lesser extent) by Thomas Hauser recently made me think that my thoughts on how this game has become broken have been pretty dead on.
I have been telling Ryan (among others) that the road to ruin began with fights that used to be on network TV now going to HBO or Showtime.
Coming to the same destination soon from a similar but different track-Pro Wrestling,but we will save that one for another column.....
In the late 70's and early 80's both CBS and ABC would show huge fights on Friday or Saturday evening filled with title fights and big names.
Quite a few times they would be headlined by Larry Holmes (the top heavyweight in the world) defending his title with other solid fights on the undercard.
Sugar Ray Leonard won his first world championship over Wilfred Benitez,who was one of the top 10 fighters in the world on ABC.
Free television!
Both Muhammad Ali-Leon Spinks fights were on network television and in prime time.
Can you imagine Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao on CBS?
Now,I am not saying that those type of events can ever come back to free television again as the television world has changed from the three networks,PBS and a few scattered independents,but I am saying that boxing could,no make that needs to return to network TV.
One once could ask any casual sports fan to name boxers and be greeted with names like Leonard,Duran,Hagler,Hearns and the list goes on.
Why is a relatively obscure former lightweight champion from almost 30 years ago still remembered today by fans my age?
Well,its because Ray Mancini was a network television staple on the weekends with a compelling back story and exciting fights.
Even today in the cable/satellite universe-there is no substitute for network exposure.
ESPN is about to find that out with the BCS championship game.
Look at the ratings for the upcoming Auburn-Oregon games and compare them to last years Alabama-Texas tilt on Fox,I'll take last years numbers and give you a few points.....
If you don't see something on a consistent basis,It is a hardship to follow it or at least watch it.
In the internet age,it is easier to know boxing news,but unless you buy Pay Per Views or have subscriptions to both HBO and Showtime,you are not getting to see the stars of the game.
ESPN has the Friday series from January to September,but those are usually not the stars of the game.
Fox Sports has some smaller level world title fights,but rarely are shown live and if you have just one FSN affiliate there are no guarantees you will find it.
So again,how does one expect people to become fans of a sports or particular fighters without exposure to them?
Frankly,you don't,which is why boxing is declining in popularity.
Let's go back to the 80's again,where a HBO fight was considered a special occasion such as a Marvin Hagler title defense or the anticipated Michael Spinks-Dwight Muhammed Qawi title unification bout was considered a big deal back when there were just two world titles.
Why were they big deals?
Because they fought on network TV,people knew them,became fans of them and then wanted to see them against the elite AFTER seeing them go against good competition.
I realize that selling networks on a return to the network air waves in prime time is a tough sell,but start small-let's work on getting weekend boxing back on the network level.
ABC wastes time with SportsNation type drivel,try to get a fight of the week on the air or a fight of the month if that is what it takes to start with.
No one expects to see Manny Pacquaio,but Andre Berto sure could use the publicity or Andre Ward could begin to get mainstream.
Sometimes,you have to take a little less now to make even more down the road.
Which brings us back to HBO which is the bully of the block.
Take this weekend's bout on the network which matches two of the top four 140 pounders in the world-Amir Khan and Marcos Maidana.
This is a world title fight with two exciting fighters and I cannot wait to see it.
Outside of England,few know who they are and I would be shocked if HBO gets any kind of rating out of it.
The other two in the division fight on HBO in January as Americans Timothy Bradley and Devon Alexander square off.
Both skilled and top boxers and it should be a great fight,but go to work today and ask a sports fan who Timothy Bradley is.
Both of these fights would have been network fights in the past,maybe Bradley-Alexander would have been an HBO fight,but only after each guy had made 3 or 4 network appearances and brought the bout to a boil where fans needed to see just which of the two was better.
I want HBO and Showtime in the boxing business,I think they can be good for it,but they could be even better with help from other sources helping them build attractions for bigger fights that draw more people to their network to see.
I get HBO for two reasons,Boxing and their excellent sports documentaries,which debuts one on Vince Lombardi on Sunday.
HBO quits showing Boxing and I likely begin to consider dropping HBO.
Showtime wants my dollar? Add more boxing and do more specials like their terrific Full Color Football on the AFL that the network televised in 2009.
HBO could show fights every weekend and I would be all over them and Showtime too (If you are reading this,Showtime Boxing,drop me a line or better yet a comp subscription and I'll lavish your bouts with pub too :) ),but sometimes the needs of the many (the game itself) outweigh the needs of the few ( promoters,etc) or as Mr.Spock paraphrased "the one"-name your entity.
Showtime has two great bantamweight bouts this weekend.
Few will see them,they would be a great weekend doubleheader on sister network CBS and since the goal is to match the winners,move that eventual bout to Showtime.
Same theory,a little less now to make a lot more next time.
Which do you think is better for a Vic Darchinyan-Abner Mares winner?
A win on Showtime or CBS?
Start small and don't be afraid to give the networks good fights.
No one wants to see top fighters pound overmatched competition in order to be on TV.
Match them strong with good opposition,make people want to see them again and that is how you can begin to rebuild a failing sport.
Pay Per View is supposed to be even more special like closed circuit television used to be.
Only the earth moving bouts were on CC or now PPV.
Leonard-Hearns was a closed circuit bout not Hamsho-Scypion.
Top Rank supposedly put on the fight of the year last weekend between Humberto Soto and Urbano Antillion for the WBC Lightweight belt.
Why supposedly? Because few saw it, I sure didn't and I wanted to!
Only hardcore fans know Soto-Antillion and fewer have the money to buy the bout and as a result no one knows and therefore few care.
That is exactly the type of fight that made Ray Mancini among others a star on network TV and could do wonders for others,if the effort is made to do it right.
It will take time,effort and lots of lobbying,but it can be and more importantly-it needs to be done....
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