Originally posted by JonnyBlayze
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A HW title fight was watched by every male across nearly all western countries. It was shown on free TV when boxing was among the most internationally known sports and watched by as many people as football etc.
Unless you remember it or lived during those times, it seems nearly impossible to understand how much bigger it was.
During the 60/70s it was normal to have a family night watching boxing on TV. Most people/families did it.
Back when Marciano, Louis, Dempsey, etc were champions every single person knew who they were. It was like knowing who Tiger Woods is nearly. Everyone listened to the fights on radio, watched them on TV. So, so different. It was a massive worldwide sport followed closely by just about every major country.
Also, you're just flat out wrong. If you showed a bunch of guys from the fifties a pic of Sonny Liston, they'd tell you exactly who he is. People who watch boxing or are associated with it would know Floyd and Pac, otherwise very few would. It's just a sad fact of what our favourite sport has become.
Think of all the guys who were on TV all the time just back in the 70s and 80s. Carlos Palomino was recognised as the face of Miller Lite, as were Alexis Arguello, Ray Mancini in various ads.
Roberto Duran appeared in Rocky, Miami Vice and other TV shows, movies and commercials. Boxers were like every sportsmen today in basketball, football, soccer etc. Everyone over here immediately recognises Jeff Fenech, Lester Ellis, Barry Michael, Johnny Famechon, Lionel Rose because they were all over TV every week. Hell, even Tony Mundine (Anthony Mundine's dad) was widely knonw because he was always on TV Ringside; a weekly boxing show that was one of the most watched shows of anything sports or general during the 60s, 70s and early 80s.
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