HBO World Championship Boxing is a sports television series, premiering in January 1973 that has shown a number of significant boxing events in the last three decades.

WCB's first event was fought in Kingston, Jamaica

Kingston, Jamaica

Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley International Airport to the rest of the island...

, where George Foreman

George Foreman

George Edward Foreman is an American two-time former World Heavyweight Boxing Champion, Olympic gold medalist, ordained Baptist minister, author and successful entrepreneur...

 defeated Joe Frazier

Joe Frazier

Joseph William "Joe" Frazier , also known as Smokin' Joe, was an Olympic and Undisputed World Heavyweight boxing champion, whose professional career lasted from 1965 to 1976, with a one-fight comeback in 1981....

 in two rounds to win the world heavyweight championship.

HBO World Championship Boxing premiered live on HBO Canada

HBO Canada

HBO Canada is a Canadian television channel, which airs programming sourced from the HBO subscription service in the United States. HBO Canada is not available as a standalone channel, but as one channel within the TMN and Movie Central multiplexes....

 on January 24, 2009 at 10 p.m. ET/8 p.m. MT.

Memorable events

Some other boxing events covered in the series include:

• The Rumble in the Jungle
  The Rumble in the Jungle
  The Rumble in the Jungle was a historic boxing event that took place on October 30, 1974, in the Mai 20 Stadium in Kinshasa, Zaire . It pitted then world Heavyweight champion George Foreman against former world champion and challenger Muhammad Ali...
  
  , in which Muhammad Ali
  Muhammad Ali
  Muhammad Ali is an American former professional boxer, philanthropist and social activist...
  
   beat Foreman in Kinshasa
  Kinshasa
  Kinshasa is the capital and largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The city is located on the Congo River....
  
  , Zaire
  Zaire
  The Republic of Zaire was the name of the present Democratic Republic of the Congo between 27 October 1971 and 17 May 1997. The name of Zaire derives from the , itself an adaptation of the Kongo word nzere or nzadi, or "the river that swallows all rivers".-Self-proclaimed Father of the Nation:In...
  
  
• Thrilla In Manila
  Thrilla in Manila
  The Thrilla in Manila was the third and final famous boxing match between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier for the Heavyweight Boxing Championship of the World, fought at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines on October 1, 1975....
  
  , when Ali beat Frazier in their third and last fight
• Larry Holmes vs. Gerry Cooney
  Larry Holmes vs. Gerry Cooney
  Larry Holmes vs. Gerry Cooney was a boxing fight that took place on June 11, 1982. It was one of the most highly anticipated fights of the early 1980s.-Setup:...
  
  , for the World Boxing Council
  World Boxing Council
  The World Boxing Council was initially established by 11 countries: the United States, Argentina, United Kingdom, France, Mexico, Philippines, Panama, Chile, Peru, Venezuela and Brazil plus Puerto Rico, met in Mexico City on February 14, 1963, upon invitation of the then President of Mexico, Adolfo...
  
   heavyweight championship
• The Battle of The Champions
  The Battle of the Champions
  The Battle of the Champions, was a term used by promoter Bob Arum regarding the November 12, 1982 boxing match between Aaron Pryor and Alexis Argüello.-The Fighters:...
  
  , when Aaron Pryor
  Aaron Pryor
  Aaron Pryor is a former boxer from Cincinnati, Ohio, and member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame. He is the former world Junior Welterweight champion, and regarded as one of the greatest fighters in the history of the weight class.-Amateur career:Pryor, nicknamed The Hawk, had a record of...
  
   beat Alexis Argüello
  Alexis Argüello
  Alexis Argüello , also known by the stage name El Flaco Explosivo , was a Nicaraguan professional boxer and politician...
  
   in their first fight
• Carnival of Champions
  Carnival of Champions
  The Carnival Of Champions, as Don King nicknamed it, was an important boxing event held in New Orleans's Louisiana Superdome on December 3, 1982....
  
  , in which Wilfredo Gómez
  Wilfredo Gómez
  Wilfredo Gómez , sometimes referred to as Bazooka Gómez, is a former boxer and three time world champion.-Biography:...
  
   beat Lupe Pintor
  Lupe Pintor
  Jose Guadalupe Pintor Guzman , better known as Lupe Pintor, is a former world boxing champion from Cuajimalpa, Mexico. Nicknamed El Indio De Cuajimalpa or The Indian From Cuajimalpa, he started boxing professionally in 1974...
  
  , and Thomas Hearns
  Thomas Hearns
  Thomas "Hitman" Hearns is a retired American boxer. Nicknamed the "Motor City Cobra" and more famously "The Hitman", Hearns became the first boxer in history to win world titles in four divisions. He would also become the first fighter in history to win five world titles in five different divisions...
  
   beat Wilfred Benítez
  Wilfred Benitez
  Wilfred Benítez , is a Puerto Rican boxer. He is remembered best as a skilled and aggressive fighter with exceptional defensive abilities who won world championships in three separate weight divisions, and was the youngest world champion in boxing history at the age of 17...
  
  
• Marvin Hagler
  Marvin Hagler
  Marvelous Marvin Hagler , is a former professional boxer who was undisputed world middleweight champion between 1980 and 1987. Hagler holds the distinction of having the highest KO% of all middleweight champions at 78%...
  
  - Thomas Hearns
  Thomas Hearns
  Thomas "Hitman" Hearns is a retired American boxer. Nicknamed the "Motor City Cobra" and more famously "The Hitman", Hearns became the first boxer in history to win world titles in four divisions. He would also become the first fighter in history to win five world titles in five different divisions...
  
   fight, billed as The War
  The War (boxing)
  The War, also known as Marvin Hagler vs. Thomas Hearns or Hagler-Hearns, was a world middleweight championship boxing match between Undisputed Champion Marvin Hagler and challenger Thomas Hearns, who was himself the world's junior middleweight champion...
  
  
• Thunder Meets Lightning
  Thunder Meets Lightning
  The boxing world championship fight held on March 17, 1990 between WBC Jr Welterweight world champion Julio César Chávez of Mexico and IBF world champion Meldrick Taylor of the United States in Las Vegas, Nevada was a historic boxing match...
  
  , in which Julio César Chávez
  Julio César Chávez
  Julio César Chávez is a retired Mexican professional boxer.He is a six-time world champion in three weight divisions, and for several years he was considered the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world...
  
   beat Meldrick Taylor
  Meldrick Taylor
  Meldrick Taylor is a former Olympic gold medalist and world boxing champion in two weight classes.-Amateur career:...
  
   with two seconds remaining in the twelfth round;
• Michael Moorer
  Michael Moorer
  Michael Lee Moorer is a retired American boxer who is a former light heavyweight and heavyweight World Champion.-Biography:Moorer is a native of Monessen, Pennsylvania, which is in Southwestern Pennsylvania.-Professional career:...
  
   vs. George Foreman
  George Foreman
  George Edward Foreman is an American two-time former World Heavyweight Boxing Champion, Olympic gold medalist, ordained Baptist minister, author and successful entrepreneur...
  
  , in which Foreman KO'd Moorer to become the oldest heavyweight champion of the world at age 45
• One of the biggest upset in heavyweight boxing history, when James Douglas knocked out Mike Tyson
  Mike Tyson
  Michael Gerard "Mike" Tyson is a retired American boxer. Tyson is a former undisputed heavyweight champion of the world and holds the record as the youngest boxer to win the WBC, WBA and IBF world heavyweight titles, he was 20 years, 4 months and 22 days old...
  
   for the undisputed world heavyweight title in Tokyo, Japan
• The World Awaits - Floyd Mayweather, Jr. beat Oscar De La Hoya
  Oscar de la Hoya
  Oscar De La Hoya is a retired American boxer of Mexican descent. Nicknamed "The Golden Boy", De La Hoya won a gold medal at the Barcelona Olympic Games shortly after graduating from Garfield High School. De La Hoya comes from a boxing family. His grandfather Vicente, father Joel Sr., and brother...
  
   for the WBC
  World Boxing Council
  The World Boxing Council was initially established by 11 countries: the United States, Argentina, United Kingdom, France, Mexico, Philippines, Panama, Chile, Peru, Venezuela and Brazil plus Puerto Rico, met in Mexico City on February 14, 1963, upon invitation of the then President of Mexico, Adolfo...
  
   super-welterweight title.
• "Undefeated" - Floyd Mayweather, Jr. beat Ricky Hatton
  Ricky Hatton
  Richard John Hatton MBE, more commonly known as Ricky "the Hitman" Hatton, , is a former British professional boxer, and currently a promoter....
  
   to retain the WBC
  World Boxing Council
  The World Boxing Council was initially established by 11 countries: the United States, Argentina, United Kingdom, France, Mexico, Philippines, Panama, Chile, Peru, Venezuela and Brazil plus Puerto Rico, met in Mexico City on February 14, 1963, upon invitation of the then President of Mexico, Adolfo...
  
   welterweight title with a TKO in the 10th Round.
• The Dream Match - The Welterweight match between Manny Pacquiao
  Manny Pacquiao
  Emmanuel "Manny" Dapidran Pacquiao, PLH is a Filipino professional boxer and politician. He is the first eight-division world champion; having won six world titles, as well as the first to win the lineal championship in four different weight classes. He was named "Fighter of the Decade" for the...
  
   (moving up 2 weight classes) against Oscar De La Hoya
  Oscar de la Hoya
  Oscar De La Hoya is a retired American boxer of Mexican descent. Nicknamed "The Golden Boy", De La Hoya won a gold medal at the Barcelona Olympic Games shortly after graduating from Garfield High School. De La Hoya comes from a boxing family. His grandfather Vicente, father Joel Sr., and brother...
  
   (moving down 1 weight class). Pacquiao won by TKO before the 9th round began (De La Hoya retired on his stool).

World Championship Boxing has also had two spin-off series, Boxing After Dark

Boxing After Dark

Boxing After Dark is an HBO boxing program, premiering in April 1996, that usually shows fights between well-known contenders, but usually not "championship" or "title" fights. Unlike its sister program, HBO World Championship Boxing, BAD features fighters who are usually moving up from ESPN's...

and KO Nation

KO Nation

KO Nation was a short-lived television series which featured up-and-coming boxers in a hip-hop format. Shown on HBO on Saturday afternoons throughout 2000 and 2001, the show featured dancers and hip-hop performances, and was hosted by Fran Charles and Kevin Kelley. Ed Lover was the "face" of the...

.

Additionally, a video game carrying the brand name HBO Boxing was produced for the Sony PlayStation

PlayStation

The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...

.

Commentators past and present

• Emanuel Steward
  Emanuel Steward
  Emanuel Steward is an American boxing trainer, commentator and inductee of the International Boxing Hall Of Fame and the World Boxing Hall of Fame.-Life and career:...
  
   (current)
• Barry Tompkins
  Barry Tompkins
  Barry Tompkins is a well-known American sportscaster. He is better known for his work as a boxing commentator, but he has covered football and another number of sports as well.-San Francisco, New York City and NBC:...
  
  
• Fran Charles
  Fran Charles
  Fran Charles is an American television presenter at the NFL Network.- Career :Charles received his Master's degree from the Columbia School of Journalism after completing his Bachelor's degree in Communication at Stanford University....
  
  
• George Foreman
  George Foreman
  George Edward Foreman is an American two-time former World Heavyweight Boxing Champion, Olympic gold medalist, ordained Baptist minister, author and successful entrepreneur...
  
  
• Gil Clancy
  Gil Clancy
  Gilbert Thomas "Gil" Clancy was a Hall of Fame boxing trainer and one of the most noted boxing commentators of the 1980s and 1990s. He worked with such famous boxers as Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, and George Foreman, as well as Gerry Cooney in his fight with Foreman. In the 1990s, he worked with...
  
  
• Harold Lederman
  Harold Lederman
  Harold Lederman is a celebrated boxing judge and analyst. He began his career as a boxing judge in 1967 and joined the cast of HBO World Championship Boxing in 1986, where he has been ever since....
  
   (current)
• Howard Cosell
  Howard Cosell
  Howard William Cosell was an American sports journalist who was widely known for his blustery, cocksure personality. Cosell said of himself, "Arrogant, pompous, obnoxious, vain, cruel, verbose, a showoff. I have been called all of these...
  
  
• Lennox Lewis
  Lennox Lewis
  Lennox Claudius Lewis, CM, CBE is a retired boxer and the most recent British undisputed world heavyweight champion. He holds dual British and Canadian citizenship...
  
  
• Jim Lampley
  Jim Lampley
  James "Jim" Lampley is an American sportscaster, news anchor, movie producer, and restaurant owner. Lampley has anchored a record 14 Olympic Games U.S. television broadcasts, most recently the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China....
  
   (current; blow-by-blow)
• Larry Merchant
  Larry Merchant
  Larry Merchant is an American former sportswriter, a longtime commentator for HBO Sports presentations of HBO World Championship Boxing, Boxing After Dark and HBO pay-per-view telecasts, and is considered "the greatest television boxing analyst of all time" by ESPN Boxing analyst Dan Rafael.-Life...
  
   (current)
• Max Kellerman
  Max Kellerman
  Max Kellerman is an American boxing commentator and sports talk radio host based in Los Angeles. He currently appears as a color commentator on HBO World Championship Boxing and HBO Boxing After Dark and as of January 3, 2011, is hosting a midday talk show on 710 ESPN radio in Los Angeles.Prior...
  
   (current; substitute for Merchant)
• Roy Jones, Jr. (current)
• Sugar Ray Leonard
  Sugar Ray Leonard
  Sugar Ray Leonard is an American retired professional boxer and occasional actor. He was named Ray Charles Leonard, after his mother's favorite singer, Ray Charles...
  
  
• Al Michaels
  Al Michaels
  Alan Richard "Al" Michaels is an American television sportscaster. Now employed by NBC Sports after nearly three decades with ABC Sports, Michaels is one of the most prominent members of his profession...
  
  

For pay-per-view fights, Bob Costas

Bob Costas

Robert Quinlan "Bob" Costas is an American sportscaster, on the air for the NBC network since the early 1980s.-Early life:...

 and James Brown

James Brown (TV personality)

James Brown , commonly called "J.B.", is an American sports announcer known for being the host of The NFL Today on CBS and Inside the NFL on Showtime. He is the former host of the FOX network's NFL pregame show, Fox NFL Sunday.-Early life:Born on February 25, 1951 in Washington, D.C. to John and...

 have been called in on occasion to oversee the telecast while Lampley calls the fight.

See also

• Boxing After Dark
  Boxing After Dark
  Boxing After Dark is an HBO boxing program, premiering in April 1996, that usually shows fights between well-known contenders, but usually not "championship" or "title" fights. Unlike its sister program, HBO World Championship Boxing, BAD features fighters who are usually moving up from ESPN's...
  
  (a television boxing program airing on HBO from 1996–present)
• KO Nation
  KO Nation
  KO Nation was a short-lived television series which featured up-and-coming boxers in a hip-hop format. Shown on HBO on Saturday afternoons throughout 2000 and 2001, the show featured dancers and hip-hop performances, and was hosted by Fran Charles and Kevin Kelley. Ed Lover was the "face" of the...
  
  (a short-lived television boxing program that aired on HBO from 2000–01)
• Showtime Championship Boxing
  Showtime Championship Boxing
  Showtime Championship Boxing is a television boxing program airing on Showtime. Debuting in March 1986, it is broadcast live on the first Saturday of every month...
  
  (a television boxing program airing on Showtime from 1986–present)
• ShoBox: The New Generation
  ShoBox: The New Generation
  ShoBox: The New Generation is a boxing television program, on Showtime. Debuting in 2001, it focuses mainly on up-and-coming boxing prospects. This program, which is a spin-off of its sister boxing program, Showtime Championship Boxing, usually televises live at 11 p.m. ET/PT on selected Fridays...
  
  (a television boxing program airing on Showtime from 2001–present)

External links

• HBO Boxing (HBO's Boxing website, updated weekly)
• HBO Boxing Schedule