Notes

The HBO Boxers Era has Come to an End
The hbo Boxers era was over with a whimper as HBO Sports' president Peter Nelson announced on Thursday that the network would be discontinuing its boxing coverage. This is a very sad day for HBO Sports, which was responsible for launching modern pay per view and for launching many of boxing's most famous stars. The decision of the network to move forward is not surprising. Its dedication to the sport is evidently waning and it now faces increasing competition from Showtime. Showtime has signed multi-year deals with Al Haymon's Premier Boxing Champions line up, as has also burgeoning streaming platform DAZN.

HBO Boxing in its heyday featured ring-shaking bouts, iconic announcers, and a fierce style of fight reporting to put its audience at the center of the action. The boxing years of the 90s were particularly successful for the network. They broadcast epic matches such as Buster Douglas’ shocking defeat of Mike Tyson, and Evander Hollyfield’s brutal first-round KO of Michael Spinks.

This era is over. The boxing landscape has changed drastically. HBO severed all ties in February 2017 with fighters that were associated with Golden Boy Promotions, or Al Haymon as a manager/advisor. This was a significant change and effectively killed hopes that HBO Boxing will return to its original roots as a launchingpad for aspiring champs from all over the country.

Also, it eliminated any possibility that the network could reunite its legendary Jim Lampley/Larry Merchant commentating pair - the broadcasting version of Jordan and Pippen. Merchant, who passed away last year, has left a huge void in the world of boxing. Both his polarizing personalities and logical opinions are sorely missed. Max Kellerman's replacement lacked the style and zest of Merchant.

hbomerch that were worth viewing this year despite their losses. This two-part Muhammad Ali documentary, scheduled to air this April, could be the best one ever. LeBron is the star of a new highly-anticipated series based in a hair salon.

It's also interesting to note that this year, the majority of fights featured American fighters. The majority of fights were fought by American-based fighters.

HBO has to take this step in order to focus its attention on other projects that are more profitable. The network will air occasional boxing events -- such as a two-part Muhammad Ali Documentary and the previously mentioned James talk show -- but it won’t be its primary sport offering. ESPN, with its lucrative new deal to showcase Top Rank fighters along with the soon-to launch DAZN service, will fill that role.
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