Tell us about televised fights that you missed despite your best efforts.

[sweetviolenturge]

Having been a die-hard boxing fan since I was 14 in 1976, I've had a very successful run as far as catching the fights that I've wanted to see. I've missed surprisingly few contests that mattered to me. But, like everyone, there've been a few that slipped through the cracks & despite my best efforts that I somehow managed to miss. Listed below are those instances:

Leon Spinks vs Alfio Righetti - This was broadcast on a CBS late-night special in November of 1977 with the winner guaranteed a shot at Muhammad Ali the following February. And, I'd watched the prelims & I got to see some of the opening round, but just as the unbeaten Italian jolted Spinks with a right cross my neighborhood was hit with a power outage & I missed the remainder of the main event. I had to wait until the following morning's newspaper to find out the result of the contest.

Marvin Johnson vs Mate Parlov - As a rabid fan of the sport it was my habit to thoroughly comb through each week's TV Guide to scope out all of each week's fistic action & I was very, very good at it. Unfortunately, I somehow managed to miss this bout's listing in the publication & there was no prefight build up in my local papers, so I missed the fight. It wasn't until the next morning that I discovered my error when I read about the result in the paper. Needless to say, I was pretty upset about it. Especially since I'd been closely following Johnson's career in the pages of the day's plethora of boxing magazines.

Howard Davis Jr. vs Vilomar Fernandez - On this occasion, I chose to go out on a rollerskating date rather than staying home to catch the fight. And, afterward, I regretted my choice as the date was a bust & the fight turned out to be a good, though controversial contest.

Roberto Duran vs Pipino Cuevas - This was a highly anticipated crossroads contest between two former legendary champs that I was very eager to see. Unfortunately, the only way to see it live was via viewing it at the closed-circuit telecast. There was no home PPV at the time yet & in my Buffalo, NY area there were no showings, so I missed it.

[Caractacus]

This was back in the 1970's before VCR Players were available to the average person
to BE ABLE record something off of television otherwise you either had to stay home next to your TV
Or go to someone else home to watch it on TV( who may have even had cable TV).
I often had to rush back to my house which was frequently miles away
One evening after coming out of the movies(a James Bond film) ,I remember I rode my bike as fast as I could clear across town
to watch the last 2 rounds of George Foreman vrs Jimmy Young.

[Caractacus]

yeah,those were the days you had to read the local newspaper to see what was coming on TV that weekend
without any real advance notice it was going to be aired.

[Ambling Alp II]

I remember doing that as well. We didn't actually get the "TV Guide" but our local paper had (actually still does) something like that every Friday. So usually you would not until Friday if there was going to be a fight the next day on Saturday or Sunday.
Still it was great that there were so many good fights on free TV live the 1970s and early 1980s. Between, CBS, ABC, and NBC, there was a decent chance somebody would have one on Saturday or Sunday afternoon. And occasionally there was a big primetime one usually on a Friday night, often a double header or triple header.
What was awesome was that these weren't mismatches. Each guy seemed to have a chance going in. With "only" two governing bodies, contenders were forced to fight each much more often.
And there were a lot of fights between two promising up and comers. Or one up and comer against a decent veteran.
We had 8 people in the house and as already mentioned most people didn't have VCRs. So I didn't always get to watch a fight because someone wanted to watch something else. (Plus my dad always had yardwork for me on Saturdays )

Still, I watched quite a few fights during those years. Boxing was still a big deal back then.
I barely missed Hagler winning the title against Antuefermo. Saw an after the fight interview that was not in the ring where there was a mini-riot.
The one that I missed that I could have seen was the Shavers-Holmes fight. I went to a High School football game instead. Always regretted it.

[sweetviolenturge]

Yeah, gentlemen, we're definitely showing our ages in this thread. Lol.
Personally, I was a relatively early adopter as far as the VCR was concerned because I got my first one in late 1981. With, of course, the ability to record fights being chief among my reasons for doing so because I've rarely ever missed an important fight since that time. Of course, now my tool is an HD DVR rather than a VCR.

[Caractacus]

I remember doing that as well. We didn't actually get the "TV Guide" but our local paper had (actually still does) something like that every Friday. So usually you would not until Friday if there was going to be a fight the next day on Saturday or Sunday.
Still it was great that there were so many good fights on free TV live the 1970s and early 1980s. Between, CBS, ABC, and NBC, there was a decent chance somebody would have one on Saturday or Sunday afternoon. And occasionally there was a big primetime one usually on a Friday night, often a double header or triple header.
What was awesome was that these weren't mismatches. Each guy seemed to have a chance going in. With "only" two governing bodies, contenders were forced to fight each much more often.
And there were a lot of fights between two promising up and comers. Or one up and comer against a decent veteran.
We had 8 people in the house and as already mentioned most people didn't have VCRs. So I didn't always get to watch a fight because someone wanted to watch something else. (Plus my dad always had yardwork for me on Saturdays )

Still, I watched quite a few fights during those years. Boxing was still a big deal back then.
I barely missed Hagler winning the title against Antuefermo. Saw an after the fight interview that was not in the ring where there was a mini-riot.
The one that I missed that I could have seen was the Shavers-Holmes fight. I went to a High School football game instead. Always regretted it.

yes there always was a litle column in the bottom of the Sports page that listed what sport events was
going to be televised either that day or the next day on TV.

[Caractacus]

I remeber CBS use to show a number of Boxing matches that were reviously recorded on Tape
earlier in the week,but you would't have known the outcome probably anyway
so it was sort of like watching it almost live.

[SenorPipino]

I drove all over downtown Los Angeles looking for a bar that might be televising the Ali-Berbick fight.

It wasn't on closed circuit or the then-fledgling PPV. It was on this over-the-air but scrambled network called SELECT TV.

I didn't have it. And no bar in the Big City had it either. Not even the sports bar where I had previously seen a few pirated PPV telecasts.

Being a lifelong Ali fan it was a huge disappointment. And despite his losing, I've always regretted not witnessing the final fight of Ali's legendary career.

[sweetviolenturge]

SenorPipino, I missed Ali-Berbick myself for pretty much the same reason. At that point, there was no PPV yet in my area ( Buffalo, NY), so boxing fans here were at the mercy of closed-circuit telecasts & there wasn't one for that card.

[oogiebe]

I forgot Tyson/Frazier was on when I went to play some golf. Luckily, we stopped after nine and saw it in the clubhouse, so I guess that doesn't count...ok...it's my close call.

[Flump]

I am ashamed to admit that I may be the only boxing fan who fell asleep during Barrera-Morales 1.

The fight went on past 4am here in the UK, I'd been out to the pub, then a club, thinking that would set me up for watching the fight when I got home. I think I saw 3 rounds then woke up just after they announced the decision. Embarrassing.

[oogiebe]

I am ashamed to admit that I may be the only boxing fan who fell asleep during Barrera-Morales 1.

The fight went on past 4am here in the UK, I'd been out to the pub, then a club, thinking that would set me up for watching the fight when I got home. I think I saw 3 rounds then woke up just after they announced the decision. Embarrassing.

Yes, but you're man enough to admit it. I've done the same.

[Flump]

I am ashamed to admit that I may be the only boxing fan who fell asleep during Barrera-Morales 1.

The fight went on past 4am here in the UK, I'd been out to the pub, then a club, thinking that would set me up for watching the fight when I got home. I think I saw 3 rounds then woke up just after they announced the decision. Embarrassing.

Yes, but you're man enough to admit it. I've done the same.

Thanks mate. Of all the fights I've stayed awake all night for though, to drop the ball on possibly the fight of the decade is something that still annoys me all these years later.

[oogiebe]

I am ashamed to admit that I may be the only boxing fan who fell asleep during Barrera-Morales 1.

The fight went on past 4am here in the UK, I'd been out to the pub, then a club, thinking that would set me up for watching the fight when I got home. I think I saw 3 rounds then woke up just after they announced the decision. Embarrassing.

Yes, but you're man enough to admit it. I've done the same.

Thanks mate. Of all the fights I've stayed awake all night for though, to drop the ball on possibly the fight of the decade is something that still annoys me all these years later.

I totally get it! I was saving you...

[SenorPipino]

I am ashamed to admit that I may be the only boxing fan who fell asleep during Barrera-Morales 1.

The fight went on past 4am here in the UK, I'd been out to the pub, then a club, thinking that would set me up for watching the fight when I got home. I think I saw 3 rounds then woke up just after they announced the decision. Embarrassing.

I don't know how all you guys across the pond ever became hardcore international boxing fans with major bouts in the US coming on just before daybreak.

I guess I have it pretty good here on the West Coast with the big PPV or cable fights usually starting long before 9 p.m.

It does take a bit if getting used to when I want to view a Saturday European fight and they usually begin here about 2 in the afternoon.

Sometimes I have to shove work aside. Apparently we all suffer in some ways for boxing.

[Flump]

I am ashamed to admit that I may be the only boxing fan who fell asleep during Barrera-Morales 1.

The fight went on past 4am here in the UK, I'd been out to the pub, then a club, thinking that would set me up for watching the fight when I got home. I think I saw 3 rounds then woke up just after they announced the decision. Embarrassing.

I don't know how all you guys across the pond ever became hardcore international boxing fans with major bouts in the US coming on just before daybreak.

I guess I have it pretty good here on the West Coast with the big PPV or cable fights usually starting long before 9 p.m.

It does take a bit if getting used to when I want to view a Saturday European fight and they usually begin here about 2 in the afternoon.

Sometimes I have to shove work aside. Apparently we all suffer in some ways for boxing.

Well Pipino, it's for the love of the game at the end of the day. That's why we should all be on here.

[SenorPipino]

At the end of the day?

For you guys, it's more like the very end of the night!

But it's good to know that you all have your priorities in order about what's truly important in life.

[gilgamesh]

Missed Kelly Pavlik vs Jermain Taylor on HBO in 2007. That really stung because I was SO looking forward to that fight. A friend of ours told me that I could come over and watch the fight that night, and then a last minute change of plans caused him to cancel on me. So we got in the car, and was driving to my Aunt's house...couldn't get there, but halfway there we get on the phone and get told that she doesn't have HBO.

I was pissed

I take it a lot better these days when I miss out on a big fight, but I never like to. That's probably the biggest one I've missed since becoming a fan. Didn't actually get to see it until several months later when HBO replayed it at the end of the year.

[oogiebe]

Missed Kelly Pavlik vs Jermain Taylor on HBO in 2007. That really stung because I was SO looking forward to that fight. A friend of ours told me that I could come over and watch the fight that night, and then a last minute change of plans caused him to cancel on me. So we got in the car, and was driving to my Aunt's house...couldn't get there, but halfway there we get on the phone and get told that she doesn't have HBO.

I was pissed

I take it a lot better these days when I miss out on a big fight, but I never like to. That's probably the biggest one I've missed since becoming a fan. Didn't actually get to see it until several months later when HBO replayed it at the end of the year.

I just found out I'm going to miss (live anyway) Browne/Whyte due to a 'recital.' Lord help me! lol!

[SenorPipino]

A recital??!!

That's a first for a boxing fan. It must involve kids, otherwise.....

I missed my own high school graduation because it was on a Thursday night and clashed with the weekly televised Boxing from the Olympic.

My parents were really pissed, but a guy has to have priorities.

Maybe they could just tape the recital for you and you'll promise to watch it at some future date.

A recital???

[oogiebe]

A recital??!!

That's a first for a boxing fan. It must involve kids, otherwise.....

I missed my own high school graduation because it was on a Thursday night and clashed with the weekly televised Boxing from the Olympic.

My parents were really pissed, but a guy has to have priorities.

Maybe they could just tape the recital for you and you'll promise to watch it at some future date.

A recital???

My 11 year old son is a musical theatre kid. He has a solo and while I love the fights, this one is a clear choice by his dad (me).

[SenorPipino]

See, I knew a youngster was involved.

We do crazy things for our kids. Thankfully my daughters are grown up and I don't have to make difficult choices like that.

I guess your only choice is to tape it and avoid BoxRec spoilers.

[oogiebe]

See, I knew a youngster was involved.

We do crazy things for our kids. Thankfully my daughters are grown up and I don't have to make difficult choices like that.

I guess your only choice is to tape it and avoid BoxRec spoilers.

It's on cabletelevision, so I'll be in the back row with a mysterious blue light shining up from my phone...! Shhhhhhhhh!!!!

[SenorPipino]

See, I knew a youngster was involved.

We do crazy things for our kids. Thankfully my daughters are grown up and I don't have to make difficult choices like that.

I guess your only choice is to tape it and avoid BoxRec spoilers.

It's on cabletelevision, so I'll be in the back row with a mysterious blue light shining up from my phone...! Shhhhhhhhh!!!!

[Caractacus]

I remember when I was really looking forward to watch a live George Foreman fight on HBO one evening
( against Adilson Rodrgieuz)
This was on HBO,the local cable station back then just had a single HBO channel on it back then.
I fell asleep right before it was going to be shown live
and for some reason that one HBO chanel never repeated it again.
It was shown only once when it was broad-cast live !
This channel only showed all the live fights when they were broadcast live.
10 years later HBO repeats fight broadcasts multiple times on its multiple channels. over and over