| |
|
On This Day: Top Rank Boxing Debuted on ESPN 40 Years Ago
PhilBoxing.com Sat, 11 Apr 2020
Top Rank Boxing premiered April 10, 1980 in Atlantic City and was a television mainstay for nearly two decades.
(April 10, 2020) — Forty years ago today, April 10, 1980, the "Top Rank Boxing" series debuted on ESPN with the “Star Wars” theme music serving as the backdrop. It was the beginning of a historic 16-year run, appointment television viewing that showcased boxing stars, including Mike Tyson, Bobby Czyz, Dwight Muhammad Qawi, Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini, Mike McCallum, Gene Hatcher, Freddie Roach and Donald Curry.
The debut card took place at Resorts International in Atlantic City, N.J., and featured four televised bouts, including charismatic middleweight Frank “The Animal” Fletcher’s decision victory over Ben Serrano.
“Top Rank Boxing” crisscrossed the country, partnering with an array of promoters who had hungry, fan-friendly fighters with devoted fan bases in venues such as Ice World in Totowa, N.J., and Showboat Sports Pavilion in Las Vegas. When the series ended in 1996, “Top Rank Boxing” was the longest-running weekly televised boxing series in history.
Said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum: “I can’t believe it’s been 40 years. At that point, networks like ABC and CBS were airing fights in the afternoons, but because they paid so much, they aired many of the top championship fights. ‘Top Rank Boxing’ on ESPN was an invaluable outlet for up-and-coming fighters. Any great fighter that started to emerge in the mid- 1980s and 1990s all appeared, without exception, on ESPN. They all got their start on ESPN, and that’s something we are very proud of.
“Live boxing content was instrumental in helping ESPN become the powerhouse it is today.”
Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:
RAMIREZ VS. BARTHELEMY | ORTIZ VS. DULORME DOUBLEHEADER FINAL PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTESS , Fri, 26 Apr 2024ADRIEN BRONER VS BLAIR COBBS, MIKAELJAN VS. ROZICKI ON FRIDAY, JUNE 7 AT SEMINOLE HARD ROCK HOTEL & CASINO , Fri, 26 Apr 2024DAZN teams up with OnlyFans for boxing content By Gabriel F. Cordero, , Fri, 26 Apr 2024Jafarov, Lukas, Kittipong, Hawton, Purcell Score KO Wins in Highland Show in Thailand By Carlos Costa, , Fri, 26 Apr 2024MCGRAIL VS. LEACH FINAL PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES , Fri, 26 Apr 2024TOP AMERICAN HEAVYWEIGHT JERMAINE FRANKLIN HEADLINES NEXT INSTALLMENT OF “BIG TIME BOXING USA,” PRESENTED BY SALITA PROMOTIONS , Fri, 26 Apr 2024HALL OF FAMER “SUGAR” SHANE MOSLEY TO ATTEND 2024 HALL OF FAME WEEKEND IN “BOXING’S" HOMETOWN , Fri, 26 Apr 2024PPV.COM RETURNS TO THE RING LIVE STREAMING FOUR-BOUT CARD FEATURING THE CANELO - MUNGUÍA WORLD SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHT TITLE RUMBLE! , Thu, 25 Apr 2024FERREIRA: WINNING A WORLD TITLE AND OLYMPIC GOLD IN THE SAME YEAR WOULD BE EXTRAORDINARY , Thu, 25 Apr 2024Miami Sears Boston With 23 Triples on Way to 111-101 Upset Win, Ties Series By Teodoro Medina Reynoso, , Thu, 25 Apr 2024EL REY REBEL FAST CHANNEL PARTNERS WITH OSCAR DE LA HOYA’S GOLDEN BOY PROMOTIONS TO UNVEIL SERIES OF CLASSIC FIGHTS BEGINNING FRIDAY, MAY 3 , Thu, 25 Apr 2024NM Ivan Travis Cu rules 2024 NCRAA Palaro chess tilt to give San Juan City the team gold medal By Marlon Bernardino, , Thu, 25 Apr 2024NTB Wolves eyes 3rd win against Paramount By Lito delos Reyes, , Thu, 25 Apr 2024Quizon, Maribao power Cavite past Toledo in PCAP chess tilt By Marlon Bernardino, , Thu, 25 Apr 2024Highland Promotions Show Today in Bangkok, Thailand , Thu, 25 Apr 2024"Chocolatito" Gonzalez- Rober Barrera Set July 12 in Nicaragua on ESPN+ , Thu, 25 Apr 2024Venezuelan Olympian Gold Medalist Francisco "Morochito" Rodriguez, 78 By Gabriel F. Cordero, , Thu, 25 Apr 2024AGM Galindo sweeps IIEE tilt in Dubai By Marlon Bernardino, , Thu, 25 Apr 2024Suganob to defend title on April 30 By Lito delos Reyes, , Thu, 25 Apr 2024HE TURKI ALALSHIKH ANNOUNCES RIYADH SEASON TO HOST FIRST OVERSEAS EVENT IN LOS ANGELES AS CRAWFORD TAKES ON MADRIMOV FOR WORLD SUPER-WELTERWEIGHT TITLES , Thu, 25 Apr 2024Brandon Adams Destroys Ismael Villareal in Three Rounds as Part of Overtime Tournamant , Thu, 25 Apr 2024HEAVYWEIGHTS GEORGE ARIAS AND SKYLAR LACY BATTLE TO EXCITING DRAW ON BROADWAY BOXING , Thu, 25 Apr 2024Pro Debuting Nathan Lugo Destroys Robert Lartigue in One Round , Thu, 25 Apr 2024Integrity Fighter Management Presents a Big Night of Professional Boxing This Saturday, April 27th at The Hollywood Casino at the Meadows in Washington PA. , Thu, 25 Apr 2024Junior Bantamweight Phenom Steven “Kid Dynamite” Navarro Signs with Top Rank , Thu, 25 Apr 2024 |
|
|
|
|
|