Ring Observer Boxing by Scoop Malinowski
By Scoop Malinowski
Heavyweight boxing was once the most popular sport on the planet, ahead of all other professional athletic activities. To prove it I will share an anecdote from David Halberstam’s excellent book “Sports On New York Radio.”
“Boxing’s dominance is best underscored by the radio ratings it got in the ’30s, ’40s and into the ’50s. The numbers paint an appreciation of its dynamism. The September 20, 1939 fight between Joe Louis and Bob Pastor in Detroit resulted in a mind-boggling rating of 47.6. To translate, almost half the country was tuned into the scuffle. The World Series that year did just a 21.3 rating while the 1939 college football season averaged a 33.0. In other words, heavyweight boxing was the most popular sport by far, followed by college football and baseball. Basketball and hockey were barely blips on the radio radar screen at that point.”
A pivotal turning of the tide of boxing’s popularity can be traced to a fatal fight in 1962. “In 1962 Don Dunphy called one of the most tragic fights in boxing history when Emile Griffith knocked Benny Paret unconscious, killing him. What was eerie was that just that week, ABC, which was carrying the fights, introduced the instant replay. Dunphy later said, ‘It turned out to be a tragic beginning. The replays showed the beating Paret was taking. Over and over they were repeated. Paret’s death brought upon a call for a boxing and in investigation into the fighting game. Eventually ABC and (sponsor) Gillette dropped out in 1964.”
Almost six decades later today most of the public can’t even name who is the Heavyweight Champion of the World.
Note: “In 1938 the tremendous interest in the Louis-Schmeling showdown earned a whopping rating of 63.6. Think of it for a moment – sixty-three percent of the United States were tuned in to listen to Schmeling fight the champion Joe Louis.”
