“The End Has Come”
From Ali-Frazier, to “Sugar” Ray Leonard stopping Thomas “The Hitman” Hearns, to Buster Douglas’ stunning knockout of “Iron” Mike Tyson, to Arturo Gatti and Mickey Ward becoming blood brothers in a hellacious a memorable trilogy — with the first still being considered one of the greatest fights of the century.
This was the sport of boxing at its purist and most hellacious forms, delivered to you by the best we’ll ever hear from a broadcast table.
All of those memorable HBO Boxing broadcasts from the past 45 years which included 1,119 fights came full circle on Saturday night as Jim Lampley, Larry Merchant and others said good bye to its viewers for the final time.
HBO Boxing had their final broadcast on the HBO network on Saturday after 45 years with the cable television giant.
Their swan song was headlined by a pair of women’s title fights that featured undisputed women’s welterweight champion Cecilia Braekhus and women’s middleweight Queen Claressa Shields. A flyweight fight between Juan Francisco Estrada and Victor Mendez was on the card as well in a solid triple-header in Carson, California.
Cecilia Braekhus (35-0, 9 KOs) Aleksandra Magdziak Lopes (18-5-3, 1 KO) cruised to a unanimous decision victory to defend all of her title belts.
Meanwhile, Claressa Shields improved to 8-0 as she dominated top challenger Femke Hermans in a one-sided unanimous decision to retain her IBF, WBA, and WBC title belts.
Juan Francisco Estrada, in a stay active fight in hopes of a flyweight title rematch with Srisket Sor Rungvisai in 2019, went on to beat Victor Mendez by 7th-Round TKO.
Jim Lampley, Max Kellerman and Roy Jones Jr. were on the call for the final night, with the late great Emmanuel Steward having a seat reserved for him in heaven watching down on the action.
As the HBO broadcast came to a close, men that played a hand in bringing us the best commentary and moments in boxing history were overcome with reasonable emotion.
Legendary sports broadcaster Larry Merchant stopped by on a memorable final night at the StubHub Center to say his final goodbyes and reflect.
“After it’s historic run it was a bit of a body blow, even though everyone in the game saw it coming,” Merchant said of HBO cutting ties with the fight game.
“Writers always love boxing because of the atmosphere around it. The hangers on, the characters as well as the combat, the raw combat. Somehow in my mind I’m reminded of [Ernest] Hemingway’s great line, “More fighters have been knocked out on Broadway than with all the great left hooks in the world.”
Merchant sat side-by-side with Jim Lampley, and a number of other commentators for 34 years, helping deliver fight analysis and memorable quotables that will forever live on.
“It’s the last fireside around which fathers and sons and families and friends have gathered and it’s a historic run that we should be proud of,” Merchant concluded.
Roy Jones Jr. — who is tied for the most appearances all-time on HBO Boxing as a fighter with 32 — had a teary eyed good bye as he couldn’t help but get choked up while thanking HBO, Jim Lampley and others for making this his home.
A member of the HBO Boxing since 2007, Max Kellerman gave an honorable farewell in HBO Boxing’s swan song.
“From the time I started watching boxing as a kid, I was always drawn to this place because of the storytelling, the honesty and forthrightness of those broadcasts were unparalleled,” an under-the-weather Max Kellerman said.
“I will miss all the very special people in our HBO family, especially my on-air brothers Jim Lampley, the best who ever did it. Roy Jones, the best I’ve ever seen with my own eyes, and the late-great Emmanuel Steward, one of boxing’s greatest ever trainers, and personalities. That is who you work with here, it has been my profound privilege.”
Jim Lampley spent his time thanking as many members — past and present — who helped bring HBO Boxing to the respectability and credibility as the top boxing telecast in the world. He concluded his final night on HBO with an emotional goodbye.
“There are dozen of other names which belong here, but time now intervenes and with that said, this family was also a business. And every business has an organic beginning and a natural and inevitable end. Here at HBO Boxing, the end has come. We thank you for watching.
“We urge you to turn elsewhere to continue your support of this purist and most human of all competitive sports. And most of all, we thank the people who poured forth their bodies and their souls to write our 45-year history in the ring, the fighters. They are uniquely precious, and the life lessons they provided for us are timeless and indispensable.”
HBO ended its broadcast with a special “Through the Years” video package of HBO Boxing, showing the good, the great, the bad, and the ugly that defined the longest running boxing telecast ever.
Even with this marking the conclusion of a historic run by all accounts, there’s no way to know if HBO Boxing is done and gone for the rest of time.
For now, the most endearing and heartfelt thing to say is to all of those who were behind HBO Boxing becoming what it is thank you. Thank you for helping make my nights along with millions of others as exhilarating and fun as the fighters who put on boxing gloves throughout this incredible run.
What is your favorite moment in HBO Boxing history? Leave your comments below!