As a huge boxing fan like my man Lexicon167 I’ve had to deal with one of the most illogical institutions that has single handedly surpressed the sport ever since its inceptions back on September 16, 1981, when Sugar Ray Leonard fought Thomas “Hitman” Hearns for the Welterweight Championship. What institution am I referring to?  Pay-Per-View of course!

In no other sport (unless you call wrestling a sport…sorry Evorgleb) will you find its fans deprived of seeing its championship events via network broadcast.  Boxing and its cable partners have held its fans hostage by monitizing its broadcasts with a steep pay-per-view fee.  Even with Hockey, a sport traditionally carried on cable, its fans are treated to a primetime network slot during the playoffs.

Now one might argue that the Pay-Per-View institution has given rise to the “Fight Night” culture which has sprouted fight parties with marginal fans and packed bars with diehards.  But the truth is boxing is dying.  Without the marquis heavyweight draw since Lenox Lewis retired, boxing has needed to extend an olive branch to its fans.

Over the last three weeks boxing has given a little something back featuring 3 great fights on HBO. April 13th they featured boxing’s phenom Miguel Cotto against an over matched Contender alumni Alfonso Gomes with Kermit Cintron vs. Antonio Margarito on a very exciting undercard.  Then last week we saw a very tactical and close victory for Joe Calzaghe over Bernard Hopkins.  Tonight we’ll be treated to the finale featuring veteran, Oscar De La Hoya and heavy underdog Steve Forbes, a contender alumni at the newly minted Home Depot Center’s 27,000-seat soccer stadium in Los Angeles.

Its been 7 years since De La Hoya fought on cable/ satellite and has costs fans a cumulative $400 in pay-per-view fees and a record $626 million in pay-per-view revenue for the cable and satellite providers.  Last year in Vegas, De la Hoya and Floyd Mayweather broke the single-fight record with $134 million in revenue on 2.4 million buys.  So with all this money being made by the fighters and PPV providers why go cable now?

Richard Schaefer, the CEO of De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions said Oscar pushed for his fight with Forbes “It’s really a thank you to HBO and his fans,” he said.  Even the hosting the fight for the first time in his hometown since 2000 means cheaper ticket prices for fans attending the live event than a bout in Vegas.

Oscar out promoting the Fight in his hometown.

But don’t salute The Golden Boy just yet.  By allowing HBO to broadcast the fight De La Hoya (a moonlighting boxing promoter) hopes to promote his planned rematch against Mayweather in September. “Oscar thought it was time to take a short-term pay cut to help the long-term potential of his subsequent fights,” said Ross Greenburg, the president of HBO Sports.  By once again whetting HBO fight fans with the Forbes fight, De La Hoya hopes it will prepare fans to drop that $55 or on the Mayweather rematch.

Speaking of Floyd Mayweather, he is no dummy either.  He recently threatened to fire his uncle, Roger Mayweather who had been training Forbes if he didn’t quit.  Trust me…Floyd will be rooting hard for Oscar and that September pay day.

So for one last night, I get to bask in all my boxing glory then its back to the money gorging prices of Pay-Per-View as the sport continues on the road to ruin. (Shout to the New York Times for help with the stats)