BoxRec

In the first half of the 1980s, there were still a lot of big time fights on Network TV for free. (CBS, NBC, ABC)

It was fun making a list of as many as I could recall. I'm sure that some are missing. (There were many other interesting fights that were on TV that I didn't list because they weren't as important.)

If you were living in the United States at this time, you will probably remember a lot of these:

1980
Marvin Johnson-Mustapha Muhammad
Leonard-Green
Holmes-Jones
Weaver-Tate
Holmes-Ledoux
Mamby-DeJesus
Gomez-Derrick Holmes
Saad Muhammad-Lopez
Minter-Antuofermo
Minter-Hagler
Hagler-Geraldo
Sanchez-Ford
Pedroza-Lockridge
Arguello-Castillo

1981
Holmes-Snipes
Spinks-Mustapha-Muhammad
Saad Muhammad-Martin
Saad-Muhammad-Sutherland
Spinks-M. Johnson
Arguello-Mancini
Benitez-Hope
Hearns-Shields
Boza Edwards-Chacon
Boza Edwards-Chacon

1982
Holmes-Cobb
Qawi-Martin
Spinks-Sutherland
Mancini-Frias
Mancini-Espana
Moore-Kalue
Starling-Curry
Pedroza-Taylor
Pedroza-LaPorte
Sanchez-LaPorte
Limon-Chacon
Qawi-Davis

1983
McCrory-Jones
Haley-Mamby
Chacon-Edwards
Camacho-Limon
Hamsho-Benitez
Holmes-Rodriguez
Holmes-Frank
Holmes-M. Frazier

1984
Costello-B. Curry
Costello-Mamby
Gomez-LaPorte
Lockridge-Mayweather
Brown-Paul
D. Curry-LaRocca
Rosario-Davis
(Couldn't remember if Spinks-Davis and Starling-Curry II were televised on the network or not.)

Spinks v Davis was televised, and I had Davis winning it by 2.

I think of quite a few more fights not on your list that were televised.

There were several others that thought about including that I decided were a notch below. They were certainly worth watching for free.

Snipes-Coatzee
Snipes-Mustapha Muhammad
Page-Tills
Dokes-Chaplin
Dokes-Ocasio I and II
Hagler-Lee
Spinks-Sutherland I
Spinks-Lopez
Sibson-Davidson
Hamsho-Czyz
Green-Mugabi
Mugabi-Fletcher
Fletcher-Roldan
Saad Muhammad-V. Johnson
Spinks-V. Johnson
Starling-Ayers
M. Frazier-Bugner
Arroyo-Brown
Davis-Baltizar

I know Chandler and Gomez were on more but I can't think of their opponents.

Like Seamus said, there are more.

So many

1980
Leo Randolph v Ricardo Cardona
Sergio Palma v Leo Randolph
Salvador Sanchez v Danny Lopez
Salvador Sanchez v Danny Lopez
Jim Watt v Howard Davis
Jim Watt v Sean O'Grady

lot's more if I get the time

1981
Salvador Sanchez v Roberto Castanon
Alexis Arguello v Jim Watt
Alexis Arguello v Roberto Elizondo
Alexis Arguello v Steve Busceme
Rolando Navarette v Cornelius Boza-Edwards
Cornelius Boza-Edwards v Rafael Limon
Roberto Duran v Nino Gonzalez
Roberto Duran v Luigi Minchillo

I hate you all for having seen those fights for free back then.

Tip of the iceberg. We also got occasional live fights on smaller networks during the week, and Spanish Television put on great fights a week or two late.

More

1982
Jeff Chandler v Johnny Carter
Wilfredo Gomez v Lupe Pintor
Jose Caba v Jackie Beard
Alexis Arguello v Andy Ganigan
Alexis Arguello v Kevin Rooney
Ray Mancini v Julio Valdez
Ray Mancini v Duk Koo Kim

1983
Eusebio Pedroza v Rocky Lockridge
Alexis Arguello v Claude Noel

1984
Richie Sandoval v Jeff Chandler
Azumah Nelson v Wilfredo Gomez
Juan Meza v Jaime Garza
Barry McGuigan v Paul Devorce
Barry McGuigan v Felipe Orozco
Livingstone Bramble v Ray Mancini