“Has been an institution for decades” – Fight fans and aces mourn end of Showtime era in boxing and MMA
Showtime president Stephen Espinoza has announced that they will be exiting the boxing industry after 37 years of broadcasting.
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Floyd Mayweather and Stephen Espinoza (image credit- IMAGO)
Stephen Espinoza, Paramount’s President has announced that Showtime Sports and Boxing will discontinue broadcasting boxing by the end of 2023. Showtime Boxing has been a prominent boxing promotion and broadcasting company for decades. As such, it has a long history of showcasing high-profile fights and has established itself as a major player in the boxing industry.
Unfortunately, Showtime is not going to be a part of the boxing industry anymore. As such, MMA journalist Ariel Helwani stated on X, “Showtime boxing has been an institution for decades. Amazing people have worked on those shows for years. What an unfortunate turn of events.”
In addition, Helwani also said that the sale of the MMA promotion company Bellator can be expected soon. Hence, Showtime’s exit from boxing and the world of combat sports will harm the combat sports industry.
Furthermore, this also signifies the end of an era in terms of the golden age of boxing broadcasting. Over the last 37 years, Showtime has featured legends like Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield.
Fans react to the end of Showtime Boxing as announced by Stephen Espinoza
Showtime has been a major player in the boxing industry for decades. For many years after HBO ceased broadcasting the sport, it was the go-to destination for fans. Showtime used to put on some amazing fights, but lately, it’s been all downhill.
Big-money fighters have been taking a break for years after becoming rich. Subsequently, when they come back, it’s for easy fights, which are uninteresting for fans and detrimental to the boxing industry. Some argue that the decision to discontinue boxing on Showtime by Stephen Espinoza and the Showtime board is due to the quality of PBC’s coverage. Hence, mismatches involving popular fighters, such as Gervonta Davis, and important fights never happening caused ShowTime’s downfall.
Furthermore, fans have reacted to the sudden news of Showtime discontinuing their involvement in the combat sports industry with mixed reactions. Many fans are shocked and sad because this marks the end of an era for boxing and combat sports. In addition, many fans noted how Dana White must be pleased with this news because of his feud with Stephen Espinoza.
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Ajinkya Aswale
(1115 Articles Published)