If you’re a boxing fan, then Showtime and HBO are probably already part of your Direct tv package. If not, what are you waiting for? HBO has been airing HBO World Championship Boxing since January 1973, while Showtime premiered Showtime Championship Boxing in 1986. Both have been the home for some of the most important fights in boxing history.For HBO, that includes: the famous “Rumble in the Jungle,” where Muhammad Ali defeated George Foreman in Kinshasa, Zaire; the “Thrilla in Manila,” the 1975 third and final match between Ali and Joe Frazier for the Heavyweight Boxing Championship of the World; and 2007′s “The World Awaits,” where Floyd Mayweather Jr. defeated Oscar De La Hoya by split decision. Current commentators include Harold Lederman, Jim Lampley, and Larry Merchant.

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The role of a boxing promoter is a multi-faceted one. The boxing promoter is responsible for getting opposing boxers together to fight as well as putting together an entire evening of events. They are responsible for putting together what is referred to as a ‘bill’, which typically consists of multiple fights, and sometimes other entertainment for an evening.

Promoters are also responsible for the actual promotion of the boxing match. They are the ‘hype’ men who push the event to media outlets such as television

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When some people hear that Mickey Rourke spent time as a professional boxer, they may think of that it was some type of “actor” vanity project. You know, the kind that actor’s do just because they can. The thing is, though, before he started acting in movies, Rourke, who was nominated for an Oscar in 2009 for his role in “The Wrestler”, Rourke was actually an up and coming boxer in Miami who won a majority of his fights between 1964-1974. After becoming one of the

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Jack Johnson, a black fighter who was reigning heavyweight champion, defeated white fighter James L. Jeffries, a former champion, in Reno, Nevada on July 4th, 1910. The result set off riots nationwide, and launched Johnson’s wildly successful, yet controversial career.

Known ever-after as “The Battle of the Long Count”, 1927′s rematch between heavyweights Jack Dempsey and Gene Tunney is credited with putting boxing on the “front pages” of the nation’s sporting consciousness. The controversy over the referee’s delay in beginning the “count” continues to this day.

Cassius Clay, soon to adopt the name Muhammad Ali, shocked the boxing world in 1964 when

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American boxer Shannon Briggs is doing his best to keep the art of trash talking alive, but is he going over the top? Recently, Briggs referred to his Saturday opponent, Ukrainian Vitali Klitschko, as a kung-fu octopus, and claimed that Klitschko’s only options were to withdraw or get knocked out.The boxers are similar in age, but Klitschko at 39 is a year older. Will this work in his favor, or against? Turning to their respective records isn’t much help, as the two are pretty evenly matched there as well. Klitschko has been the victor in 38 out of 40 fights (95), while Briggs has 45 knock-outs out of 51 (88). Overall, it looks like we can expect a passionate match tomorrow when they face off in Hamburg. The match will be refereed by British ref Ian John-Lewis, marking only the fifth time in history that a UK referee has managed a heavyweight title match. Audience support may be divided, but we, along with John-Lewis, expect the majority to cheer Klitschko. He was a big hit when he fought there 11 years ago, and elsewhere in Germany two months ago. Similarly, his brother Wladimir drew in 10 million viewers earlier in the year when he KO’d Samuel Peter.

James Toney claims to have a great deal of respect for mixed martial arts, but he sure isn’t showing any to upcoming opponent Randy Couture. The match is scheduled for “UFC 118: Edgar vs. Penn II” at Boston’s TD Garden on August 28. It will either be a grand vindication or the biggest comeuppance in recent memory for Toney, who has promised to hit Couture “so hard his grandparents will feel it.”The odds calculators don’t seem to have the same confidence, judging Toney a 3.5-to-1 underdog. It’s his first time in the MMA ring, and despite four months of grappling training, it’s not likely that Toney will be able to defeat the three-time heavyweight and two-time light-heavyweight champion. Couture’s style involves not only boxing, but also Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, among others.

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The boxing community’s interest in a Floyd Mayweather/Manny Pacquaio match-up has come and gone as the proposed match devolved into a media mess. First Mayweather asked Pacquaio to agree to Olympic-style drug testing for them both before the fight, which Pacquaio refused. In July, Mayweather let a deadline for accepting the fight pass without comment, though some suggested his uncle and trainer’s upcoming trial could be to blame.However, the idea of testing all fighters before fights could help shake the stigma that has fallen on the sport. That was the idea behind the German public television channel ARD’s January contract renewal with Sauerland Boxing. The channel stated that all boxers must undergo testing before the fight is broadcast. They cite their reason as the large number of young viewers that watch the network, as well as the role they play in the community. While ARD’s example is a good one, it seems unlikely that American channels will follow suit.

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If you’re looking to get into a sport that doesn’t have a lot of equipment, boxing is one of your best options. Professional boxers don’t use anything other than headgear, a pair of gloves and a mouthpiece. Well-known brands like Everlast offer glove styles starting from 19.88. But what is the history of this piece of equipment, and just how well does it work?Hand-gear in fighting competitions was first used in Greek and Roman times, most notably in the form of the caestus. This glove originally consisted of simply leather thongs tied over the hand, but fighters soon added spikes and studs to further “enhance” the competition. As you can see, the caestus was a far cry from the modern padded boxing glove, which is designed to protect rather than to maim.

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If you’re anything like me, when you want to learn more about a particular subject, you go and rent some movies. Luckily for you, boxing has spawned some of the most hard-hitting, exciting, and emotional films in the history of sports cinema (and some might say in the history of cinema itself). Without further ado, here are the films you have to check out.

1. Rocky Series: While each installment has its supporters, if you can only check out one, make sure you get the original. It epitomizes the boxing spirit in its classic underdog hero, who also manages to woo the girl of his dreams while learning the art of the sweet science.
2. Raging Bull: This is the other film that leaps to mind whenever you put the words “boxing” and “movie” together. Since it’s directed by Scorsese, though, you should also know that “amazing” goes along with it. Based on the true story of Jake LaMotta, the film shows what happens when a boxer can’t “shut it off” when he steps out of the ring. It’s a dark look at why some boxers do what they do.

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Boxing fanatics have grown tired of the endless unfounded rumors surrounding Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather’s fabled match-up. Meanwhile, newbies looking to get interested in the sport haven’t had much to latch onto this summer. But both groups got a reckoning with the upcoming Marquez-Diaz bout on Saturday, July 31. The competitorsJuan “Baby Bull” Diaz and Juan “Dinamita” Marquezalready had one legendary battle under their belts. Marquez took the victory in the ninth round then, but both fighters were recognized by Ring magazine for the fight of the year.Marquez’s victory last time was no indication of a sure thing this time, although he did end up taking the victory. He has enjoyed a steady career, including earning a world title along with his brother Rafael. When he fought Manny Pacquiao in 2004, he managed a draw after a knock-down in the first roundhowever, many fans decried the judges’ decision, feeling that Marquez actually overpowered Manny in the following rounds.

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