What was the First "Live" fight on tV you remember seeing ?

[Joson]

Muhammad Ali vrs Jimmy Young was also shown live on ( free)Network TV
so was Ali vrs Richard Dunn,
Ali vrs Alfredo Evagelista
Ali vrs Earnie Shavers too.

They sure were. I watched them all too. Real time.

[oogiebe]

The fights that got me hooked as a fan were the Ali-Wepner and Norton-Quarry doubleheader in March 1975. But both bouts were nationally broadcast several days after occurring. So they weren't live fights.

But Ali-Lyle, which happened just two months later, was real time.

I thought those were live feeds.

[Joson]

The fights that got me hooked as a fan were the Ali-Wepner and Norton-Quarry doubleheader in March 1975. But both bouts were nationally broadcast several days after occurring. So they weren't live fights.

But Ali-Lyle, which happened just two months later, was real time.

I thought those were live feeds.

Nope. They were delayed broadcasts. The fights took place Tuesday evening, March 24th, 1975. They were broadcast the following weekend.

[oogiebe]

The fights that got me hooked as a fan were the Ali-Wepner and Norton-Quarry doubleheader in March 1975. But both bouts were nationally broadcast several days after occurring. So they weren't live fights.

But Ali-Lyle, which happened just two months later, was real time.

I thought those were live feeds.

Nope. They were delayed broadcasts. The fights took place Tuesday evening, March 24th, 1975. They were broadcast the following weekend.

Meh, I have an excuse. It's a long time ago.

[Caractacus]

I remember my Dad saying, he had watched this fight Live on TV when he was in college.
But he had to go down to the local bar, to watch it, since there were only a few home television sets back then in town.
( originally aired on NBC-TV (and radio) Friday Evening ,October 26 1951 10 pm EST

[Caractacus]

Does anyone here remember watching this one "live" on TV ?
It aired on NBC-TV (and radio) Friday 10pm (EDT) May.1. 1959.
The first HW Championship, to do so since Louis vrs Conn II in June 1946

[Flump]

I think mine was Joe Bugner v Winston Allen. Allen butted Bugner blatantly, then Bugner flattened him with a right hand.

[Ambling Alp II]

Saw Ali-Young and Ali-Evangelista. Unwisely, I went to a High School football game instead of watching Ali-Shavers. Ali's title defense against Dunn was only a few weeks after the Young fight.
I didn't remember Ali-Dunn being live. There was a big time difference. Are you sure about that one?

[Caractacus]

yes, I do remember Ali vrs Richard Dunn being shown live
( on American television)
That fight (on NBC-TV back in May 1976)at that time, it got the largest television viewing audience in history
( 55 and one half million people watched it live)
dang, where were you dude on Monday May 24th 1976 ?
also the Patterson vrs London fight there was recorded on kinescope, so it looks dark and grainy.
I ofter wondered how the picture quality was to people who actually watched TV back in the 1950's,
if they had a good Tv and good antannae
would it have looked more like this to a TV viewer ?

[Ambling Alp II]

Where was I for Ali-Dunn? I think 2nd grade.

[Caractacus]

on May 24th ?
were you in Summer School ?
BTW
Ali vrs Dunn must have been a "Midnight Fight" there in Germany.
They use to have them back then during the 1970's ( just like "Midnight Movies" at the cinema's here in the USA.)
Another "Midnight fight' back then was Joe Frazier vrs Joe Bugner in London
( it was shown closed-circuit here, but in only a few "select" places like Philadelphia and Washington D.C,
because of what time that could see it here live at the theaters )

[AngryGoon38]

how far back some of you go ?

Larry Holmes - Ken Norton.

1978.

I was 8.

[Caractacus]

yeah, I remember watching that live on TV too.
Thats back when the TV networks had special boxing shows on weekdays
like three hours long with big name fighters.

[866693]

Duk Koo Kim vs Boom Boom Mancini in November 82, I was 10, I know I had watched boxing before that but can’t remember who. Obviously, very sad ending despite a back n forth exciting fight.

[hitman_hatton1]

tyson vs berbick

itv used to broadcast the fights on sunday morning (9:30).

so technically it wasn't live.

"he's really like a kid stumbling in a playpen"

[Monzon83]

Ali v Holmes as a very young kid. I’d heard the legend of Ali but seeing him in this made me feel very sad.

[Caractacus]

you saw Ali vrs Holmes at a closed-circuit theater ?

[Stevieaber]

Jim Watt v Sean O’Grady late 1980. I just remember the tension about whose cuts would get the fight stopped first.

[Caractacus]

Ali v Holmes as a very young kid. I’d heard the legend of Ali but seeing him in this made me feel very sad.

you probably just watched Ali vrs Holmes on the re-play on ABC Wide World of Sports a week after the fight,
if so ,you did not see it live.

[jwfg]

Roberto Duran vs Esteban De Jesus fight #2

Was that the one where Duran got his arse handed to him?

[oogiebe]

Roberto Duran vs Esteban De Jesus fight #2

Was that the one where Duran got his arse handed to him?

No he lost the first one.

[jwfg]

Roberto Duran vs Esteban De Jesus fight #2

Was that the one where Duran got his arse handed to him?

No he lost the first one.

[giacomino]

Roberto Duran vs Esteban De Jesus fight #2

Was that the one where Duran got his arse handed to him?

He got knocked down in #2 but he eventually dominated the proceedings

[Bodyshot3]

Pretty sure it was McGuigan v Pedroza in 1985.
Massive fight in the UK/Eire and which kicked-off a serious boom in TV boxing in the UK.

It also got me hooked on the sport.

Next big one was Christie v Kaylor the same year and I think and also some very good live midweek fights on the BBC's Sportsnight programme and the fights Central Television put on which were an eclectic mix of Area, British, Euro and Commonwealth fights but also some "wee small hours" world title fights from all over the world.

How Central found the budget, god only knows. They sent Jim Watt and Reg Gutteridge feckin' everywhere and they were not back in the UK studio watching the pictures.....they were ringside in Japan, Thailand, Texas, Mexico and all sorts!

[ldlamb]

how far back some of you go ?

I can’t remember the first fight I actually watched…it probably predates this memory….but the first fights I remember being aware were happening in the weeks leading up to them were Holmes-Ali and Leonard-Duran 2