True or false: A major world championship will never be shown on free TV again

[SBleeder]

Following up on a recent thread about why boxing isn't on the major networks anymore:

By "major world championship", I refer to either a Ring or lineal title, a WB(A/O/C) or IBF title, or any other alphabet organization that gets granted "major" status by the powers that be.

By "free TV", I mean on non-PPV and non-premium networks. Channels you can get on an antannea (NBC, CBS, FOX, ABC).

And I'm talking only about live fights, not replays.

[NChristo]

Not a major world championship no, probably not, PPVs teeth are in too deep.

[jabsRstiff]

I would say "false"....just because of the word "never" being used.

I can see FOX giving it a shot. I don't however, see it as something they'd stick with.

[Scott9945]

Eventually there will be one. The networks change executives often enough and some guy will be looking to give his network a quick boost. They've done UFC recently, so how far is that removed from boxing? I wish I could remember the ratings for Tyson-Norris fiasco.

[Anthony342]

Well there is a Fight channel, which doesn't surprise me, since there are whole channels for Golf, MLB Baseball, NFL Basketball and NFL Football, so they should at least show more boxing than they do. To answer the question, probably not, but I hope I'm wrong.

[jabsRstiff]

Eventually there will be one. The networks change executives often enough and some guy will be looking to give his network a quick boost. They've done UFC recently, so how far is that removed from boxing? I wish I could remember the ratings for Tyson-Norris fiasco.

Tyson-Norris was on Showtime. Tyson-Buster Mathis was on on FOX in '95. There may have been a card shown by Fox that featured Terry Norris on Tyson's undercard, if that's what you're referring to...

Fox had a few fights on back in late '95 to early '96. Tyson, Norris, Hopkins, McCall....all fought. Then they had a mid-week card featuring YOri Boy Campas against Anthony Stephens.

[Scott9945]

Tyson-Norris was on Showtime. Tyson-Buster Mathis was on on FOX in '95. There may have been a card shown by Fox that featured Terry Norris on Tyson's undercard, if that's what you're referring to...

Fox had a few fights on back in late '95 to early '96. Tyson, Norris, Hopkins, McCall....all fought. Then they had a mid-week card featuring YOri Boy Campas against Anthony Stephens.

You're right, it was Tyson-Mathis on Fox.

[Scott9945]

This is well short of a major title fight, but Adamek-Cunningham II will be shown live on NBC on 12/22. It is a legitimate main event and the major title fight could come soon if they happen to pop a good rating that night. But I think they'll be lucky to get the disappointing rating that UFC got on Fox. Sure hope I'm wrong though.

[Anthony342]

This is well short of a major title fight, but Adamek-Cunningham II will be shown live on NBC on 12/22. It is a legitimate main event and the major title fight could come soon if they happen to pop a good rating that night. But I think they'll be lucky to get the disappointing rating that UFC got on Fox. Sure hope I'm wrong though.

I do too. Any idea what time this will be on on NBC or whose doing commentary? I will try to catch this. Maybe since the UFC is on Fox, boxing promoters are trying to compete? Maybe if this happened more often, more amateur athletes would become boxers and win at least one medal in the summer Olympics. That last showing for men's boxing was abysmal.