There was a time when the sweet science was governed by the axiom, ?As the heavyweight division goes, so goes boxing.? Now, in the United States, the rule of thumb is, ?As HBO goes, so goes boxing.?
No network has ever been associated with a sport to the degree that HBO is associated with boxing. And no network has ever set the agenda for a sport to the extent that HBO sets the agenda for boxing.
HBO has the single biggest boxing budget in the world.
It?s one of the few places that a fighter and promoter can go to make big money in the United States and, for many Americans, their only exposure to boxing. Indeed, most of the public and media are unaware of a fighter?s existence unless he fights on HBO.
Most big fights in the United States happen if and when HBO chooses to televise them.
In most sports, athletes with talent succeed. In boxing, a good or bad manager, a powerful or weak promoter, a competent or incompetent matchmaker can spell the difference between success and failure. But the most dominant force of all is HBO.
That sort of power demands scrutiny. Indeed, one can make a case that, while HBO?s primary obligations are to its subscribers and Time Warner shar
