How HBO’s “24/7” Saved Boxing

In 2007, HBO reinvented the way big boxing fights are promoted when they debuted the show "De La Hoya/Mayweather 24/7." The four-part series was a behind-the-scenes look at the fighters as they prepared for what some dubbed "The Fight That Will Save Boxing."

The show was an instant success. Whether it was the awesome soundtrack, the all-access look at training, or the undeniably entertaining Mayweather family, "24/7" became must-see TV overnight.

Averaging over 4.1 million viewers per week, "De La Hoya/Mayweather 24/7" served as the main promotional tool for what would go on to be the highest grossing pay-per-view boxing fight of all-time. The fight achieved a record 2.4 million pay-per-view buys and earned over $140 million in revenue, shattering the previous record of 1.9 million buys for Evander Holyfield/Mike Tyson "Bite Fight" in 1997.

Two years a several installments later, "24/7" (and the Mayweathers) is back, this time promoting Floyd Mayweather, Jr.'s upcoming fight on September 19th against Juan Manuel Marquez.

Like most boxing fans, the Mayweather/Marquez fight isn't my dream matchup. It's clear as day that Floyd Mayweather, Jr. and Manny Pacquiao are the two best fighters in the world. The fact that the inevitable fight between them keeps getting pushed back just opens up the possibility that by the time they actually fight, one or both fighters will be past their prime.

To be honest, if it weren't for "24/7," this fight would mean little more than a one-night sports filler for me before the MLB playoffs and NBA regular season get under way in October.

Still, nothing could spoil the return of "Money" Mayweather to reality TV for me. Less than five minutes into "Mayweather/Marquez 24/7," I was already setting a reminder on my phone for the day before the fight to order it.

HBO Sports has a way of doing that.

I'm convinced that if the 24/7 crew followed me around and the guy with the cool voice narrated my articles I would be the greatest writing sensation the Internet has ever seen.

(That voice, by the way, is that of Liev Schreiber, a.k.a. "Cotton Weary" from the "Scream" movies, or if you want to get really obscure, the "good" kidnapper from "Ransom" that offers Mel Gibson's kid a candy bar.)

Watching "Hard Knocks" earlier this month, I felt terrible when Reggie Kelly of the Bengals went down with a season-ending injury. It happened less than 15 minutes into the first episode of the season, and I was already attached to the guy.

That's what HBO does. They can make anything, even the trials and tribulations of a journeyman tight end, seem compelling. Over the past few years, they've quietly raised the bar for sports programming so high that no one else even comes close.

Whether it's a riveting documentary ("Assault in the Ring", which debuted last month, was really good) or shows like "Hard Knocks" or "24/7" that boast an almost impossible turnaround time, HBO continues to knock it out of the park with their sports programming.

Hell, even when HBO Sports swings and misses like they did with "Joe Buck Live," they still managed to inadvertently deliver great entertainment in the form of Artie Lange.

That's why 24/7 is so important to the sport: it brings back the entertainment aspect of boxing. As a boxing fan, of course I'm excited to see Floyd Mayweather fight again. He's the best fighter of my generation.

But if we're being honest here, I'm more excited to see his uncle, Roger Mayweather, mumble through four weeks worth of interviews. I'm excited to see how many different ways Floyd, Jr. can refer to himself as "The Greatest." I'm excited to see Floyd, Sr. do anything.

And when it's all said and done, after four episodes of "Mayweather/Marquez 24/7," I'm going to be excited for the fight.

That's the whole point of 24/7. Maybe the hype for the fight is a little overblown. Maybe it is nothing more than a tune up for Mayweather, a chance to knock off some of the dust before taking on Pacquiao in the spring, but at least HBO is doing a great job of promoting it.

With no single governing body, television contracts spread out across about10 different channels, and somewhere around 20 different weight classes with what feels like 50 different titles, boxing as a sport is a mess.

No one fight can save it.

But little by little, HBO is doing its part to keep boxing off life support and make title fights events in this country again.

Maybe we'll never have another fight that captivates the entire nation like Muhammad Ali/Joe Frazier back in the '70s. But as long as 24/7 is around, you can bet that HBO is going to try like hell to create one.

Given HBO's track record, if anyone can pull that off, they can.

And if they do, you can guarantee that I'll be tuned in every week for the 24/7 that leads up to it.