HBO Plans European Vacation - Fury-Klitschko, Kovalev-Chilemba

By Jake Donovan

Monday Night… Boxing

It doesn’t exactly have the makings of a long-running series (at least not on stateside TV), but the brass at HBO are prepared to experiment for a one-time offering if it means bringing Sergey Kovalev’s next bout to its home viewers.

Representatives from the network have confirmed to BoxingScene.com that a mini-European tour is being planned during the second week of July. Two days after providing live coverage of the July 9 heavyweight championship rematch between Tyson Fury and Wladimir Klitschko from Manchester, England, the American cable giant is now committed to a rare Monday offering of boxing.

Full details are still being worked out, but HBO subscribers can expect either a live or same-day showing of Kovalev’s upcoming light heavyweight title defense versus Isaac Chilemba, which will take place July 11 in Ekaterinburg, Russia.

HBO representatives are not in a position to expand beyond confirming such travel plans. The fine folks at Main Events, Kovalev’s promoter also declined a request from BoxingScene.com for official comment, opting to wait until a final decision is formally announced.

Kovalev (29-0-1, 26KOs) will make the eighth defense of at least one light heavyweight belt, though the first time he fights in his native country as a defending champion. The 33-year old knockout artist has only fought twice before in Russia, the last such occasion coming in Dec. ’11 in the very same hosting venue for his long-sought homecoming.

HBO’s involvement also brings a few more sidebars to the storyline. The upcoming event will mark the network’s first boxing telecast on location in Russia since Oct. ’13, when then-reigning heavyweight king Klitschko successfully defended his championship in a 12-round, foul-filled affair versus then-unbeaten contender Alexander Povetkin in Moscow.

Going back even further in history is the last time that HBO offered live (or same-day delay) boxing on its main network on a night other than a Friday or Saturday (far more the latter in the past 16 or so years). The last such occasion came exactly 20 years to the day of the currently scheduled Kovalev-Chilemba pairing – July 11, 1996, a night that also involved Main Events, but which ended in a full-scale riot.

A rare Thursday offering of boxing on HBO saw Riddick Bowe – at the time a former World champ but who’d reemerged as the best heavyweight in the world – take on then-unbeaten rising contender Andrew Golota at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Much of the night suggested a changing of the guard as Golota battered the Brooklyn-bred boxer throughout their main event battle.

Unfortunately, far too many of his punches strayed well south of the proverbial border, although referee Wayne Kelly (who’s since departed, may he rest in peace) gave Golota every opportunity to fight through it. The Polish heavyweight was deducted points in rounds four, six and seven, the latter which could have resulted in automatic disqualification but instead served as a final warning. It didn’t take, as another very low shot forced Bowe to double over and left the referee no choice but to end the contest.

It was hardly the end of the fight, as Bowe’s team members – led by Jason Harris - raced across the ring to physically let Golota know their thoughts on his tactics. All hell broke loose, with the ring – as described by HBO blow-by-blow man Jim Lampley – “stormed by thugs and hooligans” and fans who intended to just enjoy a night at the fights instead left to fend for themselves due to a criminally understaffed security force employed at the Garden that evening.

Considering the strong push by Kovalev and Main Events to bring a big event back to Russia for all the right reason, it’s safe to say that the 20th anniversary of that evening will be spent under far safer conditions. Thanks to the efforts of its preferred broadcast partner, it can now also be spent enjoyed by HBO home viewers. 

Jake Donovan is the managing editor of BoxingScene.com. Follow his shiny new Twitter account: @JakeNDaBox_v2