HBO World Championship Boxing | |
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WCB title card, 2013
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Genre | Sports/boxing |
Presented by |
Jim Lampley Max Kellerman Roy Jones, Jr. |
Starring | Various |
Theme music composer | Ferdinand Jay Smith III |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language(s) | English (occasional interpreters) |
No. of seasons | 33 |
Production | |
Camera setup | Multi-camera |
Running time | Various |
Release | |
Original network |
HBO truTV |
Picture format | 1080i (HDTV) |
Audio format | Surround sound |
Original release | January 22, 1973 | – Present
Chronology | |
Related shows | Boxing After Dark |
HBO World Championship Boxing is an American sports television series, premiering in January 1973 that has shown a number of significant boxing events since then.
WCB's first event was fought in Kingston, Jamaica, where George Foreman defeated Joe Frazier in two rounds to win the world heavyweight championship.
Famous matches broadcast on World Championship Boxing include: The Rumble in the Jungle, in which Muhammad Ali regained the world heavyweight title from George Foreman in Kinshasa, Zaire in 1973; Thrilla in Manila, the final encounter between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier; Larry Holmes vs. Gerry Cooney, for the World Boxing Council heavyweight championship; The Battle of the Champions, when Aaron Pryor beat Alexis Argüello in their first fight; Carnival of Champions, in which Wilfredo Gómez beat Lupe Pintor, and Thomas Hearns beat Wilfred Benítez; Marvin Hagler-Thomas Hearns fight, billed as The War; Thunder Meets Lightning, in which Julio César Chávez beat Meldrick Taylor with two seconds remaining in the twelfth round; Michael Moorer vs. George Foreman, in which Foreman KO'd Michael Moorer to become the oldest heavyweight champion of the world at age 45; James Douglas's stunning upset of Mike Tyson for the undisputed world heavyweight title in Tokyo, Japan; The World Awaits - Floyd Mayweather, Jr. beat Oscar De La Hoya for the WBC super-welterweight title; "Undefeated" - Floyd Mayweather, Jr. beat Ricky Hatton to retain the WBC welterweight title with a TKO in the 10th round; The Dream Match - The Welterweight match between Manny Pacquiao (moving up 2 weight classes) against Oscar De La Hoya (moving down 1 weight class). Pacquiao won by TKO before the 9th round began (De La Hoya retired on his stool), Mayweather Jr. vs. Pacquiao, when Mayweather outpointed Pacquiao over 12 rounds in one of the most widely seen fights around the world in boxing history (on May 2, 2015), and Alvarez vs. Cotto in which El Canelo Alvarez outpointed Miguel Cotto by 12 round unanimous decision on November 21, 2015.