When did ITV last broadcast a fight?

jamesmcdonnell · Post by **jamesmcdonnell** » 07 Jul 2004, 07:36

Can anyone remember when the last fight was broadcast on ITV, the regular terrestrial channel that is.

Wilko · Post by **Wilko** » 07 Jul 2004, 07:40

Not sure but would it have been when they were showing Shea Neary and Colin Dunne in the late 90's?

jamesmcdonnell · Post by **jamesmcdonnell** » 07 Jul 2004, 07:43

Dunno, that's what I am trying to figure out. You tend to remember the fight, not who broadcast it.

neil r · Post by **neil r** » 07 Jul 2004, 10:12

Wilko wrote:Not sure but would it have been when they were showing Shea Neary and Colin Dunne in the late 90's?

I think thats probably about right Neary was the last guy that ITV took interest in just beofre they dropped boxing and he went to SKY. Pity that cos I always liked Nearys style, thought he would have been more that suited to being the next big terrestial fighter.

jamesmcdonnell · Post by **jamesmcdonnell** » 07 Jul 2004, 10:16

It was by all accounts Shea Neary.Nearly a decade ago now!

Coconut · Post by **Coconut** » 07 Jul 2004, 10:18

I think I've noted before elsewhere that it was Neary-Dunne (which almost sounds like a description of the BBC's coverage of boxing...)

knockout · Post by **knockout** » 07 Jul 2004, 10:20

Coconut wrote:I think I've noted before elsewhere that it was Neary-Dunne (which almost sounds like a description of the BBC's coverage of boxing...)

very clever

bennie · Post by **bennie** » 07 Jul 2004, 10:25

Can you imagine how foolish the Beeb will look if Danny Williams gets past a rusty Tyson on July 30 - just a month after they dumped Audley!

knockout artist · Post by **knockout artist** » 07 Jul 2004, 10:39

wasnt it Ward - Neary?

deadpan · Post by **deadpan** » 07 Jul 2004, 10:46

No, Ward-Neary was on Sky on the Naz-Bungu undercard.

I think it was a Colin Dunne fight. But I didn't really care for him, so I don't remember.

jamesmcdonnell · Post by **jamesmcdonnell** » 07 Jul 2004, 10:48

It was Neary and someone else, I forget now, but I was informed by someone.

knockout · Post by **knockout** » 07 Jul 2004, 10:54

jamesmcdonnell wrote:It was Neary and someone else, I forget now, but I was informed by someone.

must have been the Griffith fight??? or villarreal.. so we are takling 5-6 years ago

DavidPayne · Post by **DavidPayne** » 07 Jul 2004, 10:58

It was Dunne.

I could have been Dunne v Holiday.

That was a genuine fight at the time.

Matchfixer · Post by **Matchfixer** » 07 Jul 2004, 11:01

bennie wrote:Can you imagine how foolish the Beeb will look if Danny Williams gets past a rusty Tyson on July 30 - just a month after they dumped Audley!

Did the BBC get rid of Williams then? I thought he chose to move to Sky.

jamesmcdonnell · Post by **jamesmcdonnell** » 07 Jul 2004, 11:35

knockout wrote:
jamesmcdonnell wrote:It was Neary and someone else, I forget now, but I was informed by someone.
must have been the Griffith fight??? or villarreal.. so we are takling 5-6 years ago

Griffith is who I was told it was.

jamesmcdonnell · Post by **jamesmcdonnell** » 07 Jul 2004, 11:36

Williams defected.

It is noticable that ITV's coverage of boxing ended not long after the Benn v McClellan tragedy.

J · Post by J » 07 Jul 2004, 11:38

jamesmcdonnell wrote:Williams defected.

It is noticable that ITV's coverage of boxing ended not long after the Benn v McClellan tragedy.

AND HOW IRONIC IS THAT, possibly one of the best fights ever for excitement, obviously tragic how it ended up but sheesh while the fight was on a total classic.

knockout artist · Post by **knockout artist** » 07 Jul 2004, 11:41

J wrote:
jamesmcdonnell wrote:Williams defected.

It is noticable that ITV's coverage of boxing ended not long after the Benn v McClellan tragedy.
AND HOW IRONIC IS THAT, possibly one of the best fights ever for excitement, obviously tragic how it ended up but sheesh while the fight was on a total classic.

I have spoken to ITV's head of Sport, Brian Barwick. He said that they were releuctant to get into the game again, as the last two major tragedies in a British ring were on ITV. Benn - McClellan and Eubank Watson.

jamesmcdonnell · Post by **jamesmcdonnell** » 07 Jul 2004, 11:46

Surely enough time has passed now for them to reconsider, I can understand their reluctance, but they really were unlucky to have two such high profile tragedies so close together (relatively speaking) and both on their channel, and both featuring British superstars of boxing.

As Harry Hill would say...

"What are the chances of that happening?"

jamesmcdonnell · Post by **jamesmcdonnell** » 07 Jul 2004, 11:47

knockout artist wrote:
J wrote:
jamesmcdonnell wrote:Williams defected.

It is noticable that ITV's coverage of boxing ended not long after the Benn v McClellan tragedy.
AND HOW IRONIC IS THAT, possibly one of the best fights ever for excitement, obviously tragic how it ended up but sheesh while the fight was on a total classic.
I have spoken to ITV's head of Sport, Brian Barwick. He said that they were releuctant to get into the game again, as the last two major tragedies in a British ring were on ITV. Benn - McClellan and Eubank Watson.

How recently did you speak to him?

DavidPayne · Post by **DavidPayne** » 07 Jul 2004, 11:47

The ITV would probably need access to an established name or fight to be tempted.

And as Naseem is not going to comeback and Hatton is secured to SKY, that only leaves Harrison, and whilst I'm sure ITV could learn lessons from the BBC's coverage of Audley, I think they sense a lack of interest from casual fans for Harrison.

If he was 17 (17ko) and was British champion, they may have a different proposition, but then again if that was the case, he'd still be on the BBC.

J · Post by J » 07 Jul 2004, 11:50

I know as its boxing and the actual aim of the game it s to hit someone its a little differnet but if that was the main concern then you wouldnt have any sports on tv, more people die windsurfing a year than boxing and certainly in rugby. I mean how many times do you watcha rugby game and a serious injury happens I would say one in 2-3 matches not life threatening but they do happen I know full well. (For example the welsh lad the other weekend against SA who was carried off after swallowing his tongue) I fine it a bit of a weak argument myself.

jamesmcdonnell · Post by **jamesmcdonnell** » 07 Jul 2004, 11:53

It's all a matter of perception. The perception of those who know nothing about boxing (and this is from speaking to lots of people on this subject), is that boxing is just a skill-less pursuit, where two ape-men try and beat eachother to death, and that those involved are bloodthirsty gangsters.

This is not a perception that most media companies want to contend with.

I would settle for a two hour boxing show once a week late at night, and two significant domestic fights a month, plus 1 world title fight on taped delay a month. Surely not beyond the realms of possibility.

stujones · Post by **stujones** » 07 Jul 2004, 15:24

If memory serves me correct Benn vs McCllelan was the last Sports Network show on ITV, the golden handcuffs deal with Sky was signed not long after - I don't think the reason ITV let go was due to the tradegy, just the finances (although I'm not sure if this IS the case).

ITV returned and showed some world class boxing as well as some of the domestic fighters mentioned - They started back with a delay but full version of the DLH vs Hernandez scrap, with Jim Rosenthal uttering the words "The is just the start of things to come, boxing is back on ITV".

The ITV coverage continued domestically when they were showcasing the WBU title fights featuring Shea Neary, Colin Dunne and Peter Culshaw. I think when Culshaw was headlining the fights were not live but delayed by a few hours, although I do think the Neary and Dunne fights were live.

ITV DEFINATELY screened Neary's fight with Scheepers in 1998, they may have even showcased Neary vs Villereal or even his fight with Griffin in 1999 - I can't remember that, although I did believe that Neary first fight on Sky was against Micky Ward.

Whilst the depth was as good and with only 3 decent fighters to showcase it was never going to be huge - ITV still made the effort that is needed, showcasing them live and with the same attitude as with their more prestigious world title fights.

Incidently, HTV Wales have been showcasing fights long after ITV have done - Scott Gammar was on HTV surely early last year - although with all the ITV regions now more or less uniform, that will probably never happen.

TheRiverCityHippy · Post by **TheRiverCityHippy** » 07 Jul 2004, 15:51

neary/ ward was a cracking fight.
neary nearly stopped ward a few times but the iron chinned mickey ward just kept on coming back from the brink, and eventually stopped neary with body shots if my memory serves me right.
neary was never the same after his unbeaten record went. which is a pity because time has shown he went into the trenches with a modern warrior and nearly won.
i seem to remember mickey giving shea big props after the fight.