Dustin’s Corner: Remember When ABC Promised to Air Boxing?

Back in 2015, ESPN and ABC announced they were going to air boxing matches. ESPN already had Friday Night Fights, but this was going to be called Premier Boxing Champions (PBC), replacing Friday Night Fights. While PBC is still around, it sure as hell is not on ABC.  I remember watching one or two fights that aired on ABC, but who is to say this is accurate. I drink heavily so one never knows.

Back in the days of Ali, Frazier, Foreman, and the list goes on, boxing used to be a premier event on Saturday nights. In fact, people dressed up, and attended matches. It was not deemed the brutal sport that today’s generation detests as they congregate at their local coffee shop drinking half café light foam concoctions.

While I appreciate ESPN’s commitment to combat sports, I was excited when ABC undertook returning boxing to the center stage. However, it seemed short lived as I have not seen a fight aired on ABC in quite sometime. Yet, we are talking about a network that airs the following gems:  Dancing with the Stars, Once Upon A Time, American Housewife, The Good Doctor, etc.   I probably should not have included Once Upon A Time in my list of criticism, as it is the Ward brothers’ favorite show.  All I'm saying, is that I know anyone reading this is not watching the above shows. It feels like boxing could potentially replace one of those shows, if not all of them.

 

("Once Upon A Time is pretty cool." -Steve Ward)

Aside from the shitty programming of ABC, there is greater concern for the sweet science. Look at how MMA has grown in the past decade. At one time, it was banned from various states. New York has just recently allowed UFC events to take place in the state. How did MMA get so popular? This writer believes it could be argued that it got so damn popular by being on regular television. Fox aired and continues to air UFC events. At one point in time, not to age myself, UFC was on Spike TV. MMA did a great job being in our faces all the time.

I thought that in 2015 boxing was headed back to prime time television. However, for some odd reason, ABC feels vampires who sleep with werewolves, and then birth emo zombies is where viewership currently lies. What happened to boxing? Thank goodness for the coverage on ESPN, but should boxing be aired on regular television? I for one think it would help to grow the sports' popularity, and could be the answer to returning boxing to where it belongs.

(Actual Emo Kids... Dustin Johnson is pictured on the far left)

I want to hear from all of you. What are you thoughts? What happened to airing boxing on regular television? Would this help grow the sport or am I an uninformed asshole?

Special Thanks To:
Colonial Sanders for “extra crispy”
Emo Zombie Children
ABC.com for current TV schedule
Denzel Washington for being “my man”

- Dustin Johnson, The People's Red Head

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ESPN 30 for 30 Presents Tommy

ESPN's 30 for 30 is set to release the latest installment of their sports documentary series tomorrow evening. The documentary, entitled Tommy, focuses on the life and career of world heavyweight boxing champion and actor, Tommy Morrison. Morrison is arguably best known for two accomplishments during his career; his 1990 acting role as Tommy Gunn in Rocky V, and his 1993 victory over George Foreman for the WBO Heavyweight Title.

Morrison was diagnosed with HIV in 1996, after the Nevada Athletic Commission conducted a pre-fight blood test on the former heavyweight champion. Throughout his life, Morrison took a number of tests for the virus, many of which turned up negative. In the years leading up to his death in 2013, Morrison continued to fight professionally with controversy swirling around the boxing world about his health.

Morrison last fought on February 9, 2008 in Mexico where he defeated Matt Weishaar (6-2-2, 4 KOs) via a third round technical knockout. On September 1, 2013, it was reported that Morrison died of cardiac arrest, resulting from multi-organ failure due to septic shock caused by a Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection. Morrison was 44-years-old at the time of his death.

Tommy will air on September 27th at 8:00 PM EST on ESPN. Make sure to set your DVRs and alerts... ESPN2 rarely disappoints viewers with the 30 for 30 series!

For more information on this documentary, check out the official ESPN page for Tommy.

(Photo courtesy of Boxrec.com)

MW

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