By Jake Donovan

Boxing fans knew something special was in the air from the moment Al Haymon and his team officially announced the launching of Premier Boxing Champions in January. The press conference in New York City featured a taste of what was to come, as the major participants of the series were introduced in the same fashion that they are summoned to the ring on fight night.

Danny Garcia and Lamont Peterson knew at the time that they’d have to wait their turn in line, to see how the inaugural edition of “PBC on NBC” would look and what they’d have to live up to by the time their April 11 showdown rolls around.

NBC aired boxing in prime time on its network for the first time in nearly 30 years (not counting ‘The Contender’, which handlers classify as more reality-TV than “real boxing”, even if the results count the same) on March 7. Adrien Broner opened up the telecast with a one-sided 12-round win over John Molina in a stinker, while Keith Thurman looked stellar in his own 12-round victory over Robert Guerrero in the evening’s main event.

The questions going in weren’t entirely how the fights would play out – although a significant part of the sport’s health if it is to thrive in this medium – but how receptive the general audience would be to boxing in prime time. Network brass and event handlers were pleased with the ratings, as the show drew more than 3 million viewers.

As for the presentation – well, that depends on whom you ask. With the series being all about the fighters, those involved in the series were blown away and are anxious to be a part of it. Chief among them were Garcia and Peterson, adding yet another element to an already attractive matchup.

“It was amazing, the whole setup, the whole production, the way the fighters walked out with the backdrop,” noted Garcia (29-0, 17KOs) of the March 7 edition on NBC as well as the March 13 offering on Spike TV, the latter considered the far more fan-friendly event of the two. “It’s great for boxing. I watched that show thinking how I get to showcase my skills on NBC.”

Four PBC shows will have aired by the time Garcia and Peterson (33-2-1, 17KOs) meet at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York in their non-title fight at a maximum catchweight of 143 lbs. Armed with a strong co-feature between middleweights Andy Lee and Peter Quillin, many experts points to the April 11 card as the centerpiece of the current PBC run heading into boxing’s version of the Super Bowl with the May 2 super fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao.

From March 7 through fight week for Mayweather-Pacquiao, PBC series will have aired or will air on NBC, Spike TV, Showtime, CBS and NBC Sports Network. This weekend pits Showtime’s first foray into the PBC world as Jhonny Gonzalez faces Gary Russell in a 12-round featherweight bout. It could be argued that Showtime has served as the audition stage for the series, given the manner in which Haymon was given free reign with its litany of mismatches to have aired on the network last year.

Nevertheless, it’s the first of two consecutive Saturdays in which networks under the CBS Corporation Inc. umbrella get in on the act. The April 4 edition of PBC airs right before the NCAA Final Four college basketball action, as World light heavyweight champion Adonis Stevenson faces Sakio Bika in a Saturday afternoon matinee special on CBS.

On paper, the cards are well worth watching but most see the April 11 show as the most competitive. Such cards can only contribute towards the improved health of the sport.

“I’m happy for every fighter that will participate in this series,” notes Peterson, who along with his brother Anthony overcame poverty and homelessness as a youth in Washigton D.C. “Too many times people say boxing is dead. It’s not dead, but it’s been put on the back burner.

“Boxing will get much needed attention (with this series).”

The plan in leading up to this fight was for Garcia and Peterson to grab each other’s attention when paired up on the same show last August. Both fighters were granted separate mismatches at the very arena that will host their forthcoming clash.

Garcia – the recognized World lineal junior welterweight king by way of his Sept. ’13 win over Lucas Matthysse – opted for a non-title fight at 142 lbs. versus fringe contender Rod Salka, who moved up more than two full divisions for the chance to headline on Showtime Championship Boxing. The bout was as lopsided as suggested on paper, with Garcia scoring a highlight-reel 2nd round knockout.

Earlier in the evening, Peterson had a marginally tougher task, though in the end successfully defending his alphabet 140 lb. belt with a one-sided 10th round knockout of Edgar Santana.

Whether or not either fighter had the chance to catch a recorded version of the other’s performance is unknown, as neither would admit to it. Despite being in the same building last August, they managed to miss each other in the ring, though confident that it would end with plans to one day meet.

“After I fought, I was doing my post-fight drug tests and all that. His fight only lasted two rounds, so it was over by the time I was done with everything I had to do,” Peterson claims.

Despite having 10 rounds to look up at a monitor and take a peek at what was coming his way in the future, Garcia too insists that the timing wasn’t right to scout his divisional peer.

“I wasn’t paying attention because I was warming up for my fight,” Garcia recalls of the summer night in Brooklyn while Peterson was posting his second lopsided win of the year. “It’s a tough fight. I have to be prepared. I have to make adjustments in the ring, land my big punches and get the (win).”

The upcoming show will mark the first time either fighter has fought on free network TV.

Peterson had his comeuppance first in regional fare on Comcast Sports while developing in the mid-South, before graduating to ESPN2 and eventually Showtime and HBO. Garcia was featured on ESPN2, Fox Sports and Pay-Per-View undercards before being showcased regularly on HBO and Showtime while developing as one of the best fighters in the world.

The fact that neither fighter had the chance to build an audience on free TV is a troubling sign of the times that boxing endured for far too long.

“Network television is how I grew up on boxing,” acknowledges Lou DiBella, the promoter of record for the April 11 show, but also a rare breed who – despite his position in the industry – is often able to view the sport and speak from the common fan’s perspective. “The PBC on NBC in primetime… we’re looking to continue the momentum going forward.

“The introduction to boxing on so many networks... it’s exciting times for boxing and we’re looking forward to being a part of it.”

The opportunities have come about thanks to generous investors backing Haymon’s vision of boxing everywhere. The slots on NBC, CBS, Spike TV as well as future channels to be added to the mix (ESPN2 and BET) are all time-buys, rather than coming with the traditional license fees granted by networks who far too often saw little to nothing for their investment.

In order for the movement to not only survive but grow, a considerable amount of sponsorship and revenue streams will need to come back in return. The best way to get such targeted audiences to open up their checkbooks is to give them a reason to keep watching.

For the fighters, that means doing more than just enough to have your hand raised at night’s end – or your hand out simply to collect a paycheck.

“I have to go in there and look good and win over fans,” Garcia realizes of the biggest night of his career to date.

Jake Donovan is the Managing Editor of BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox