Let the word go forth from this time and place, to friend and foe alike, that the torch has been passed to a new generation of boxing fans….HBO will now be running the business of boxing from this point moving forward. Why? Easy, they have recovered completely from the departure of Ross Greenburg and Floyd Mayweather Jr.
The recent addition of Saul “Canelo” Alvarez to the HBO lineup only compliments the very best boxer on the planet…the pound for pound king…Gennady Golovkin or simply GGG. In summary, HBO has reinvigorated its boxing franchise with newcomers named Golovkin, Kovalev, Crawford, Jennings, and Provodnikov adding them to a mix of all-star performers like Cotto, Marquez, Bradley, Pacquiao.
One fight can change the entire landscape in boxing. Hopefully you were one of the many HBO subscribers who watched last Saturday’s spectacular Boxing event on HBO. It’s fair to say that HBO now has the most exciting and watchable fighter in Gennady Golovkin. That one fighter has changed everything in this sport.
I have watched all fights on HBO since they started broadcasting boxing in 1973. I have never seen a better boxing event than last Saturday’s broadcast of the Donaire/Walters fight and the main event with the great GGG against Marco Antonio Rubio. Both fights were actually fights!! No dancing, no hugging, every fighter giving it his best shots. Boxing, in recent years, has never had a more shining moment than Saturday’s broadcast….the coming out party for GGG.
Jim Lampley, Max Kellerman, Roy Jones Jr., and Harold Lederman were on top of their games. The Bios of each fighter were spot on. The cameraman behind the scenes and all the “behind the scenes” workers deserve tons of credit. This is why……….I was at the fight and the fans watching on HBO did not get to sit next to Salma Hayek but they did experience the electric atmosphere that was static throughout the main events.
Let’s pause a moment for a word about Jim Lampley. Jim has been the host and blow by blow announcer for HBO for almost 30 years. There is none better at his job than Jim who is at the peak of his career. It’s time for him to be inducted into the Boxing Hall of Fame…he has my vote because of his dedication to his job. You get the feeling that no one in this sport does their homework better than Jim Lampley.
I will finish this brief article by saying I was among the non-believers that Ken Hershman was in the same league as Ross Greenburg. We must look at Hershman’s accomplishments – fight of the year, the best boxing documentary ever – Ward/Gatti Trilogy, and now the best fight ever on HBO boxing. He is getting the job done by a commitment to excellence from the fighters on HBO. It would appear that Team HBO has answered the challenge from other network(s) broadcasting boxing by taking their game to another level. And the winner is YOU, if you are an HBO subscriber.
Last Saturday’s boxing matches proved that when boxers fight, the fans will rush to buy tickets and the HBO subscribers can’t wait until Saturday night. That’s a fact that you can count on each and every time.
I also should tell you that I heard a rumor that Ken Hershman is hell bent on getting the price of a PPV fight back to the fifty dollar level. Way to go Ken !
Many Thanks,
David Tyler
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