Showtime Sports - End of an Era

[Ruthless-RKO]

Press Release

After 37 years, Showtime Sports has signed off for the final time signaling the end of an era and the conclusion of boxing coverage that spanned four decades and chronicled the sport and its athletes from prospects to global stardom. END OF AN ERA, produced by multi-time Emmy winner Sam Shouvlin and Emmy-nominated ALL ACCESS Director Nick Manning, is available now on the Showtime Sports YouTube Channel.

After nearly 40 years of documenting the sweet science—from SHOBOX: The New Generation to the biggest pay-per-view events in television history—END OF AN ERA gives viewers a backstage pass to some of the greatest bouts in boxing history, including the “Bite Fight” between Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield, the epic clash between Diego Corrales and Jose Luis Castillo, which many call the greatest fight of all time, and the exhilarating trilogy of bouts between Rafael Márquez and Israel Vázquez.

Set against the backdrop of Benavídez vs. Andrade in November, the final SHOWTIME PPV event, the network’s Emmy Award winning documentary team takes viewers behind the scenes to spotlight a group that is widely regarded as the leading boxing production team in the world. Its history is told by the SHOWTIME BOXING broadcasters including International Boxing Hall of Famers Al Bernstein, Jim Gray and ring announcer Jimmy Lennon Jr.

Also, SHOWTIME BOXING host Brian Custer, versatile play-by-play announcer Mauro Ranallo, three-division world champion Abner Mares, and Spanish language commentators Alejandro Luna and former world champion Raul Márquez, among others, share how, “eye-popping pageantry set the stage for edge-of-your seat pugilistic performances,” and that there is, “no match for the exhilaration or shock that fighters shared with fans after a knockout victory.”

[gilgamesh]

We now live in an era where people either watch PPV's and Stars or they don't watch Boxing at all.

How are new stars going to be built?

Without ESPN Friday Night Fights and ShoBox and things like that. Seems like Boxing will have a very hard time generating stars to hold the public's interest.

[JCS]

I wish HBO would (help) save the day and come back into it... I just read an article which stated there are only two full-time professional boxing writers in the US. That says it all.

Until someone respectable does invest into the game, I imagine boxing will be reduced to Jake Paul headliners, Saudi cards, the rare "big show", and half-assed social media "coverage" of the sport.

[Perseus]

I wish HBO would (help) save the day and come back into it... I just read an article which stated there are only two full-time professional boxing writers in the US. That says it all.

Until someone respectable does invest into the game, I imagine boxing will be reduced to Jake Paul headliners, Saudi cards, the rare "big show", and half-assed social media "coverage" of the sport.

Who are the two writers?

[gilgamesh]

I wish HBO would (help) save the day and come back into it... I just read an article which stated there are only two full-time professional boxing writers in the US. That says it all.

Until someone respectable does invest into the game, I imagine boxing will be reduced to Jake Paul headliners, Saudi cards, the rare "big show", and half-assed social media "coverage" of the sport.

Who are the two writers?

Dan Rafael is surely one of them. I don't know who the other might be.

[margaret thatcher]

mike coppinger? i thought dan got fired and does his own thing now.

[gilgamesh]

mike coppinger? i thought dan got fired and does his own thing now.

I wouldn't know honestly. Who's actually writing about Boxing hasn't been relevant to me for years. I just figured Dan had a solid foothold in that game if anyone did.

[JCS]

mike coppinger? i thought dan got fired and does his own thing now.

The two writers mentioned were Keith Idec and Mike Coppinger.

[SportsRatings]

mike coppinger? i thought dan got fired and does his own thing now.

I wouldn't know honestly. Who's actually writing about Boxing hasn't been relevant to me for years. I just figured Dan had a solid foothold in that game if anyone did.

There was a big round of layoffs at ESPN, like 1/4 of their sportswriters got laid off including Rafael. He has a Substack now.

[JCS]

Never was a fan of "Fat Dan", but he was a consistent, although biased, arrogant, and sometimes dishonest mainstay in the boxing world. I wonder how much he was making at ESPN?

There were times he'd contradict himself... on one day he'd write-up a subjective report of a fight, and then later claim he never saw said fight. Which was true?

I'll never forget the time that someone hacked his twitter and blasted me w/ weight-loss spam.... ahh, the irony. I threw a couple snide comments his way...and he blocked me.

[margaret thatcher]

fat dan is a complete dickhead

[johnduck]

I wish HBO would (help) save the day and come back into it... I just read an article which stated there are only two full-time professional boxing writers in the US. That says it all.

Until someone respectable does invest into the game, I imagine boxing will be reduced to Jake Paul headliners, Saudi cards, the rare "big show", and half-assed social media "coverage" of the sport.

Who are the two writers?

Keith Idec and Mike Coppinger