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Tim Ryan Looks Back at Ringside Call on 30th Anniversary of Hagler-Leonard PhilBoxing.com Thu, 30 Mar 2017 I have called over 300 championship fights in my 52-year broadcasting career. The two boxing matches that get the most ink in my book, On Someone Else?s Nickel. A Life in Television Sports, and Travel, are -- for obvious reasons -- the ?Fight of the Century,? Ali-Frazier I, and Ray Mancini-Duk Koo Kim. I was lucky enough to become the only English-speaking radio broadcaster to announce that historic heavyweight title fight in 1971 at Madison Square Garden and my call went to the Armed Forces Radio Network. Eleven years later I was the blow-by-blow voice for CBS-TV calling the lightweight title fight from Caesars Palace in Las Vegas that ultimately took the life of the little-known Korean challenger Kim. But actually, perhaps the biggest fight ever -- in terms of prize money, ticket income and international attention -- was ?The SuperFight,? which took place on Monday, April 6, 1987. It was Marvin Hagler defending his middleweight title against Sugar Ray Leonard, making a comeback after a three-year retirement and eye surgery. With Gil Clancy, I called that fight from ringside for the CBS replay -- again from Caesars Palace. It was such a huge sporting event that CBS even produced a 30-minute lead-up show two days before the fight which I hosted with guests including, John Madden, Tommy Hearns, UK-based journalist Hugh McIlvanney, who was covering the fight for The Observer, and Hall-of Fame referee Arthur Mercante. Caesars Palace was packed to the rafters with 15,000 spectators and an estimated 400 million more watching worldwide via closed circuit and Pay-TV, combining for an estimated gross of $80 million. Over 1,100 media were credentialed for fight week. Hagler was favored to win, both Gil and I picked him to do so -- even though Ray was our good friend and occasional analyst on our CBS boxing telecasts during his retirement. It was a very close fight -- a split decision going to Leonard in perhaps the greatest comeback from retirement by any previous boxer. Hagler frittered away the first four rounds, but came back to make it very close except in the eyes of one judge, Jo Jo Guerra, who inexplicably scored Leonard an eight-point winner. Dave Moretti and Lou Fillippo scored it 115-113 for Leonard and Hagler, respectively. Scoring by rounds -- not points -- I had it for Hagler six rounds to five with one even. Gil scored it close for Leonard. There was much debate world-wide as to which boxer should have received the decision. The next morning Gil and I arranged for a videotape viewing with Leonard. Ray, who felt he had won convincingly, was eager to prove me wrong. We had many laughs watching it and debating the result of each round. I lost that decision 2-1. There was no argument that Ray?s performance was one of the greatest ever and arguably the single-most stunning upset in boxing history up to that point -- three years off, concern about his retinal surgery, moving up in weight to 160 against a supremely talented champion. It was indeed a ?SuperFight? and an honor for me to be a part of in my broadcasting role. ****************************************** Tim Ryan's 52-year award-winning broadcasting career on CBS, NBC and ESPN, has included being a lead announcer for NFL and NHL games, partnering with Al McGuire on NCAA basketball telecasts, the four major championships of professional tennis and 10 Olympic Games. His adventures traveling the globe during the golden age of sports broadcasting is recounted in his memoir, On Someone Else's Nickel. A Life in Television, Sports and Travel. The book is available via Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com.  |
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