Major fights on ABC, NBC,CBS

[joseph5620]

I noticed a trend of great questions about boxing in the 70's in the Ali/Frazier thread. So I decided to make a thread on this because I am curious about this too.


What were some of the biggest championship fights broadcast on regular network television in the 70's?


I see a lot of them on youtube but I am sure there are some that I haven't seen or know about.

[Sugar Adam Ali]

I wasnt around in the 70s but didnt TNT also show alot of fights as well...

I remember as a kid in the 80s watching ABC WorldWide Sports on the weekends, and they usually had some good fights..

I think moving fights off normal tv to premium channels is one of the biggest reasons Boxing has declined in popularity, at least in the USA

[joseph5620]

I wasnt around in the 70s but didnt TNT also show alot of fights as well...

I remember as a kid in the 80s watching ABC WorldWide Sports on the weekends, and they usually had some good fights..

I think moving fights off normal tv to premium channels is one of the biggest reasons Boxing has declined in popularity, at least in the USA

I agree. I know access to boxing on regular network television will never happen in this era. But it must have been fun while it lasted. I'm unsure about TNT but I do remember Tuesday night fights with Sean O'Grady in the mid 90's. I believe that was on the USA network.

[TBear]

I wasnt around in the 70s but didnt TNT also show alot of fights as well...

I remember as a kid in the 80s watching ABC WorldWide Sports on the weekends, and they usually had some good fights..

I think moving fights off normal tv to premium channels is one of the biggest reasons Boxing has declined in popularity, at least in the USA

ABC was one of the leaders in boxing telecasts. NBC and CBS tried to keep up but couldn't.
TNT tested the waters several times. Cable wasn't around during a lot of the seventies though. The major networks were the main source but with the addition of cable we got a bunch of fights. ESPN & USA each had weekly shows. There was a time during the 80's where boxing was nearly on every night of the week and the weekend had HBO, Showtime and the three networks keeping us busy..

The Glory days IMO

[TBear]

I agree. I know access to boxing on regular network television will never happen in this era. But it must have been fun while it lasted. I'm unsure about TNT but I do remember Tuesday night fights with Sean O'Grady in the mid 90's. I believe that was on the USA network.

Yes that was USA. I remember when they finally cancelled that show I was mad and did not allow that network on a tv in my household for about ten years. Easy because they had nothing else to watch anyways.

[joseph5620]

Yes that was USA. I remember when they finally cancelled that show I was mad and did not allow that network on a tv in my household for about ten years. Easy because they had nothing else to watch anyways.

Now that you mentioned it, I really don't know what else was on that network other than their Tuesday night fights.

[Scott9945]

I noticed a trend of great questions about boxing in the 70's in the Ali/Frazier thread. So I decided to make a thread on this because I am curious about this too.


What were some of the biggest championship fights broadcast on regular network television in the 70's?


I see a lot of them on youtube but I am sure there are some that I haven't seen or know about.

Most of Ali's title post Foreman title defenses were live network TV in prime time. I'm sure I saw the Young, Lyle, Shavers, and both Spinks fights on TV. Holmes-Norton was on too. NBC set aside three hours for Norton-Bobick, and they were not very pleased when it lasted less than 60 seconds.

Those were shown at night. The weekend afternoon shows (like Wide World of Sports) often showed Monzon, Duran, etc. making title defenses.

[Sugar Adam Ali]

Now that you mentioned it, I really don't know what else was on that network other than their Tuesday night fights.

The wwf prime time wrestling :wt:

[joseph5620]

Most of Ali's title post Foreman title defenses were live network TV in prime time. I'm sure I saw the Young, Lyle, Shavers, and both Spinks fights on TV. Holmes-Norton was on too. NBC set aside three hours for Norton-Bobick, and they were not very pleased when it lasted less than 60 seconds.

Those were shown at night. The weekend afternoon shows (like Wide World of Sports) often showed Monzon, Duran, etc. making title defenses.

This is like a dream for me. I can't even imagine seeing Ali, Duran, Holmes, or Monzon on networks I didn't have to pay for.

[Anthony342]

Now that you mentioned it, I really don't know what else was on that network other than their Tuesday night fights.

At the time, mostly reruns, but in the years since they've had some good original programming, some short lived, some successful, like Touching Evil, Common Law, Monk, Burn Notice, Psych and White Collar. I used to mostly watch Press Your Luck and other game show reruns on there at the time though and Quantum Leap reruns weekday nights.