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We've talked a lot about the upcoming summer games in London, with boxing starting on Saturday, and now Golden Boy Promotions, CBS, and Showtime are teaming up to give those who turn pro after the Olympics a network TV home in the United States.
Yep. Network TV. CBS will air shows on Sunday, October 14, as well as Saturday, December 15. Apparently, networks are only interested in getting fresh new meat in the boxing game, instead of the tainted product that has been "killing boxing" for the last however many years that boxing has been dead/dying/on life support. Showtime will produce the shows, so it'll basically just be your normal Showtime broadcast but on CBS, I expect.
After the jump, some quotes from Richard Schaefer, Stephen Espinoza, and Oscar De La Hoya.
Richard Schaefer, Golden Boy Promotions
"It is a great pleasure for Golden Boy Promotions to be working with CBS on this exciting network television opportunity for these young athletes. It is a chance of a lifetime and a guaranteed career jumpstart for some of these fighters to be able to make their professional debuts in front of millions of viewers on the CBS Television network."
Stephen Espinoza, Showtime Sports
"It is a dream come true for any Olympic fighter to make his or her pro debut on network television. I am grateful to my colleagues at CBS who are giving Showtime the opportunity to present the future of the sport to the largest possible audience. It will be an exciting moment for boxing and I am proud to be part of this special presentation."
Oscar De La Hoya, Golden Boy Promotions
"I know from my own experience the pressure these young fighters are under to compete in the Olympics, to represent their country well and to bring home a medal. Once the celebrating is over and they turn professional, there are certain things that happen during that transition that I feel I can assist them with because I did it myself."
Aside from any jokes about networks not wanting today's star pro boxers (another thing is, these guys are going to work for cheap compared to someone like Canelo Alvarez), I think you have to take your hats off to GBP and to Showtime for getting CBS on board here.