HBO Boxing's Greatest Hits (1989)

[@peterosario9970]

thank you H.B.O. for all your great boxing fights & documentary on great boxing fights & all your docs all sports your always number #1 in my eyes since 1973 nothing but great Theatre and drama blood and guts Warriors HBO thank you so much!!!

[@bb-gc2tx]

Boxing in the 80s was unreal. Every month sometimes every week there were great fights on. HBO was great at how they presented the fights. Damn I miss the 80s lol

[@jenniferparson7492]

The backstories the documentaries HBO was tremendous.

[@CHICANO1975]

I watched this when originally aired in the Summer of '89. Still one of the best boxing docs I've ever seen. HBO really knew how to do boxing right.

[@sccc6758]

I did too daniel. remember taping this when it came on. was right around the time of the tyson williams fight if i remember correctly. hbo always had good boxing telecast

[@charleslowe522]

Me too. I recorded it VHS, I watched it so many times that I destroyed the tape. Then in 1991 or 1992 I paid some dude $40 for a new recording on VHS and once again I wore out the tape. I am so grateful for people like Sterling Wainscott.

[@thermanzweibel]

One of the best boxing documentaries out there. I had it on VHS too and watched it a million times. Can still watch it beginning to end anytime. Sure wish Hitman Hearns had won that fight against Haggler :) Thanks a mil for posting this!!!

[@mroberts453]

I actually had this recorded on my VHS Tape when thus aired this aired in 1989. Watched at least over a thousand times till i wore the tape out. Thanks 🙏

[@shakedaddy1]

Back when I was in high school, I must've played this tape 100x for all my friends. And it always bothered me that he said, "the door shut on Eddie Mustafa, he never got another shot at a title". he did get a shot, he lost a SD against Kacar in 1985 for the IBF strap

[@j.yumuraj2880]

They may have just gotten that wrong, but I think the IBF was not taken as seriously in the 80s.

[@shakedaddy1]

+Stracchan J Co You know what, you are probably right - the IBF really only became legitimate around 1985 when Larry Holmes accepted the IBF title while he was the undefeated lineal champion, after the WBC stripped him for fighting M. Frazier instead of Page. That said, Michael Spinks was the IBF's 1st Light-Heavy champ (IBF just assigned him the title since he was the real champ) and it was he who vacated the IBF, WBC, and WBA light-heavy titles when he moved to Heavyweight and beat Holmes. Eddie's fight against Kacar was for one of the 3 titles Spinks, the true champ had vacated. I'm not sure that one can say that the WBA/WBC fights for the vacant titles were any more indicative of who the new true light-heavy champ was than Eddie vs. Kacar. The WBA/WBC ones were Williamson vs. Mamma-Mohammed (lol) and Stewart vs. Johnson. The only recognized "true" light-heavy champ(s) weren't until some outlets crowned V. Hill as such in 1996 after beating Maske as the 'new' lineal champ (kind of an oxymoron, as he didn't "beat the man who beat the man") and/or 2001 when RJJ beat V. Hill. So from that perspective, Eddie's shot at the IBF title was a totally legitimate title shot. Gotta love boxing though, right?

[@sinusbradycardia]

I watched this on the original air date, it was sometime at the end of the month in August in 1989. HBO had a free preview during the weekend this aired.

[@weenitomcchile1380]

I too had this on a VHS tape and probably watched it 20+ times over the next couple of years. Thank you sinus because you just shed some light on my memory, the free weekend, because we never had HBO yet somehow I made that tape lol!

[@Dalvecc]

I remember recording this when it came on, me and 2 of my buddies would watch this damn near everyday when we got out of school, man the memories

[@melekimushe2218]

Sharp😀

[@joelmaqueira4851]

I remember those free preview weekends.

[@CMT12875]

I still have this on VHS. Recorded it in 1990. I've watched this whole show literally DOZENS of times. It's unbelievable. A shame they never did any others like this.

[@drak3y]

Chris Taylor HBO did, actually. See 'Boxing's Most Brutal Knockouts'

[@CLC407]

Unquestionably, my favorite boxing documentary ever.....Awesome

[@DouglasJFresh]

I watched this HBO boxing special when I was a freshman in high school and been a fan of boxing ever since. I was saddened when the network stopped broadcasting world championship boxing.

[@brevontownes8655]

I was 6 when this originally aired and I had it on VHS and watched it everyday after school.....THANK YOU

[@JamesTaylor-oh3zd]

I was 12 and did the same thing

[@BrandonTharphorrortownusa]

I was 17

[@stuartjohnson7967]

I was 6 as well. 6 months, and all my toddler mates would come round and we’d knock the crap 💩 out of each other’s nappies. Great days.!

[@rockyfish3115]

Got to love lampley sure does love the sport, he cried during the gatti vs ward documentary,

[@DouglasJFresh]

Lampley was great! He increased my vocabulary over the years listening to his boxing commentary over the years.

[@thereilneid2868]

@@DouglasJFresh can't believe you commented that. That is exactly what Lampley did for me also. I mix his voice with the word boxing.

[@charleslowe522]

@@DouglasJFresh too funny, me too.

[@damianoreilly6577]

So did most ppl watching ìt me included sad what the bitch got away with haven him murdered he gave her everything she ever wanted or needed hope she burns in hell

[@raphaelbell7222]

Lampley is a sensationalist…doesn’t know boxing…half the shit he’s screaming about is bullshit that doesn’t land…but HBOs model was to pump up certain over hyped fighters hence the sensationalism by the phony…merchant was an even bigger blood thirsty bigoted idiot…that’s why they gave big George foreman the boot because he would call out both of their bullshit

[@alfredmcglothen6050]

Love that old HBO music. As a kid, I was hyped to hear that. I knew it was time to rumble after that . Like Miles Lane would say “Lets get it on”.

[@danalong1237]

Or Michael Buffer would say “Let’s Get Ready To Rumble!”

[@alfredmcglothen6050]

Dana Long Love that as well !!!

[@mikelegoat9264]

0:43 music please ?

[@charleslowe522]

Lampley to Leonard, if you were looking back with a grandchild on your lap. It now has been nearly 32 years. I miss my youth and being 16.

[@SUEDOMIZA]

I too have this on VHS! Classic:)

[@BrandonTharphorrortownusa]

Thank you for posting this.. I used to have this on vhs many years ago..

[@sterlingwainscott7772]

Thanks for the comment, Brandon. I was actually hoping by now that someone had a version of higher quality to post. After 24 years a VHS recorded on extended play will deteriorate.

[@MrJMD37]

Sterling Wainscott Great channel. I love the talk about the fights damn near(and sometimes more) than the fights themselves

[@shonc8338]

I did too. Remember ng it the night it came on

[@sinusbradycardia]

I recorded too. HBO had a free preview the for weekend and this aired.

[@robertsaladino]

I ran that tape into the ground, watched it over a hundred times

[@bmeeks77]

Man thank you for posting this. I taped this on VHS and the tape broke years ago. One of my favorite boxing documentaries.

[@TheLutter01]

I had this on VHS many years ago also. My tape looked worse than the beginning of this one from watching it so many times lol. Thanks for posting.

[@josephsalazar7643]

Thank you for putting this out ,I used to have the tape but I lost it I'm glad to see it agian.

[@CHICANO1975]

Ray Leonard ran from Hagler for 3 years BEFORE they finally fought in 1987. And, Hagler was ROBBED of that victory.

[@elbaron69able]

This is Gold!!!

[@mrkipling2201]

I was thinking about the boxing scenes while watching this. In America from the late 1980's and 1990's, the heavyweight division was great. Especially the 1990's. Here in England, in the late 1980's and 1990's, we had a brilliant Middleweight and Super Middleweight division. You had HBO, we had ITV. You had Tyson, Bowe, Holyfield, Lewis etc and we had Eubank, Benn, Watson, Collins etc.

[@thereilneid2868]

New subscriber & this video brought back great boxing memories. Lampley's voice is boxing gold. Sure wish these great boxers had social media recognition. Just a thought.

[@charleslowe522]

Love it 20 seconds where it goes to black and white and it shows Tyson's menacing stare.

[@sinusbradycardia]

33:01 the only time I ever seen Hagler in his entire career initiate a clinch. He was rocked to his toes. Very few fighters from any era in boxing could have withstood that initial onslaught that Hearns caught Hagler with. Remains one of the top things I've seen a fighter achieve in the ring.

[@Andrad3glov3z]

Sterling, are you sure this isn't my VHS version?...lol. Thank you kindly for posting I watched this constantly before many amateurs bouts during my teens. Growing up in the Petronelli AC made the Hagler moments priceless! Happy New Calender.

[@CHICANO1975]

I recorded this documentary in 1989 in HQ. However, I've since lost the tape, but this is one of the BEST documentaries I can ever remember watching about boxing.

[@boxingguru100]

Glory days of boxing

[@usaisgood8433]

80's > 90's 2k

[@usaisgood8433]

When I think of 80s boxing I can see and smell that smoky bar with the fights on with the blue canvas & the red Budweiser symbol!

[@joelmaqueira4851]

I miss this!

[@RRR-is3rf]

Great stuff bought back alot memories ty :) . I used to always use that Marlin Staring line . " I wasn't knocked out I wasn't knocked down !!!! " LoL

[@juangarcia-ml1by]

Hbo I Miss your boxing 😢

[@sterlingwainscott7772]

Pardon the video quality at the beginning. It gets better a few minutes in.

[@REGGIE_BXNY]

Sterling Wainscott Do you know the name of the instrumental track 12:45 minutes in? When Hagler's segment starts. Would greatly appreciate it.

[@nmlols]

Im looking for that too!

[@scottlinehan340]

Alan hawkshaw

[@rong7od425]

Sterling Wainscott no Sweet Pea? Holyfield? Breeland? Chavez? Camacho? etc?🤷🏾‍♂️

[@msw8966]

RonG 7OD It's not Sterling's fault for the fights. Most of the Fighters u mentioned didn't become well know for a few more yrs....

[@mp4vids]

Thank you for this! It's a classic!

[@matinhewing1]

Thanks for uploading!

[@joolsxstevox.2265]

R I P Marvin the marvellous hagler

[@robjackson5245]

Gangsta intro from 1989

[@boxingguru100]

I wish boxing was like this again The best fighting the best without a bunch of nonsense that is why MMA is more popular nowadays because the best fight the best without the nonsense boxing is more entertaining to watch in my opinion but the corruption and all the nonsense takes away from what happens in the ring

[@Djrossi13]

22:24 Pause it right here! This is the controversial corner incident but something happens here that no one ever talks about. Panama Lewis has already received the “mixed” bottle, given Prior a sip, and then gave the bottle back to the cut man. But now something in his hand, he puts it right in Prior’s face, another one of Prior‘s corner crew DELIBERATELY BLOCKS the camera which is right here between 22:20-22:24 where you should have it paused, and you can hear Prior snort (this is hard to hear, it is audible immediately after the whistle. I have headphones on and I can hear it). Then Panama says “You’re the boss now!” I can say unequivocally that this is Aaron Prior doing some sort of drug, specifically a stimulant. And of course, we all know how Prior came out right after this corner incident with an incredible boost of output and effectiveness. I’m shocked no one has ever talked about this.

[@xSoccerxCorex]

i was reading about this, and it was ammonia caps that they give football players to pump themselves up. apparently it's illegal in boxing.

[@thequeenlotus126]

Thanks for posting Sterling!

[@sinusbradycardia]

Best documentary ever put together by HBO. I even liked it better than Legendary Nights.

[@djeanpierre]

Wow. I see I'm not the only one who recorded this on VHS tape! Watched it a 100 times. Ended up losing the tape!!!

[@bubba_scrubba]

Me too lol

[@REGGIE_BXNY]

Can someone please tell me what is the music being played at 12:45 minutes in when Marvin Hagler's segment began? I would like to download that track. I remember that music growing up in the 80's.

[@ifesdome2nd]

This video is awesome!

[@usaisgood8433]

80's is IRON MIKE TYSON!

[@usaisgood8433]

And 4 d horsemen!

[@joeblough261]

I recorded this on HBO as a kid and absolutely wore the VHS tape out showing it to all my buddies. Does anyone know how/where to find the song at the end, "Born to Be Champions" ??

[@kingzempirewild9383]

This men are beast! OMG!

[@CHBXNG]

2020 Anyone ?

[@chrisambassador8062]

Awesome stuff.

[@bb-gc2tx]

Sugar ray avoided Pryor like the plague

[@replicacity92]

Dope af

[@AnnieVanAuken]

Poor tracking of this SLP recorded videotape illustrates a common problem when a tape is played back on a VCR that didn't record it. Alas, there were no standard mechanical settings for VHS transports, thus speed, tracking and with non-HiFi units, audio, often were way subpar between what were, but shouldn't have been, non-compatible machines.

[@KEICRUMBIE]

MARVELOUS MARVIN HAGLER

[@2005peasah]

Leonard should have lost his rematch with Hearns, twenty-nine years ago.That wasn't a draw at all, Ray was dropped twice and Tommy was robbed.

[@1981lashlarue]

Yeah. Even Leonard acknowledges that.

[@almuhtaramzamil]

Boxing is my 2nd fvrt, after football.

[@donaldking5353]

What is the song called at the ~11:00 mark (the Tyson segment)?

[@andrejmazar960]

A allways to finish fight-top

[@mrkipling2201]

I have a huge complaint about the Hearns v Hagler fight. It was too bloody short!!

[@kevinwilkins9627]

I'm still wondering till this day how Sugar Ray won second fight vs Hearns that decision was bogus

[@kh7955]

Anybody else notice Tyson headbutt Williams right after the left to the jaw?

[@GekoPish]

god remember that KZbin auto stabilizer lol

[@charleslowe522]

The only time in Hagler's career that he initiated a clinch, was at the beginning of the round when Hearns dropped the land hook, right hand, right uppercut on his ass. Hagler will never admit that he was hurt, but he was and it was only Tommy Hearns who had the power to do it. Not even a murderous puncher such John Mugabi could do it.

[@kennethtapia4711]

How come they don't have a clean version of this theme???

[@robjackson5245]

Yeah, I know, nerds, "TNG" was first-run syndication and didn't have an official network, "DS9" didn't either. Only "Voyager" was on a network, and that was UPN. Still those first two shows were UPN and hence UPN/Warner Bros. shit in every sense of the word, except officially. And those shits aired on what would be future affiliates of UPN and Fox (the network that gets props for influencing UPN). "Voyager" was another bangin' show.

[@JohnLincolnHawk]

I had this also! Is it on dvd anywhere or how can I get a copy???

[@antoniosantiago2899]

They forgot Gomez-Pintor in 1982!

[@1981lashlarue]

I've always wondered why no Foreman v Ali?

[@watchdogsthebeast3540]

They didn't show duran vs barkley

[@joeblough261]

I love Merchant, but I must call bullshit on his comments at the end about Homes vs. Cooney. He said, "There were a lot of doubters about Larry Holmes, but I THOUGHT he was an outstanding fighter". Maybe he did think that, but I just watched part 1 and 2 of this awesome video on Dailymotion about their fight's buildup (check it out, it's GREAT footage) and Larry is on the USA Network (looking like Nick Buonocoti's twin, btw, lol) where he says, "Only Ali was able to fend off big punchers when he was past his prime, and Holmes isn't in that class - which is why his impressive credentials probably won't be impressive enough in the ring against Cooney". Yet here he comes off (to me at least) that he expected all along that Larry was going to win.

[@GekoPish]

I was 15 and had just been stabbed when this was transmitted.

[@sccc6758]

always liked haggler, but he still to this day keeps saying he won the leanord fight. anyone who has ever scored that fight hands down knows sugar ray won that fight. shocking he still keeps clinging to that he was robbed scenario

[@terrenceperkins5282]

If mike kept his head nobody could mike nobody if mike fought Holyfield in they're prime mike win & Lenox could never bet holyfield in his prime dam sure not mike

[@juangarcia-ml1by]

Cooney vs Holmes was a great fight. Probably the best heavyweight championship fight of the 80'$

[@myview2519]

Turn the tracking button

[@capitalgains4194]

WTF no Chavez fights? He had classics in the 80’s vs Rosario and Ramirez.

[@moemiles2646]

Im old as hell I had the tape to this

[@mrkipling2201]

Fighters are only allowed to drink water during a fight between rounds. How can you mix water?? What did Panama Lewis do, mix sparkling water with still water?? Something very dodgy happened there. Lewis probably put asthma powder in the bottle which gives athletes a huge energy boost. Allegedly......

[@stuartjohnson7967]

Lenny ‘Ray’ Pretty. He was what White America 🇺🇸 liked. An awfully nice chap from the suburbs. Where Marvin was a bit too Black and from the Ghetto, a bit like Tyson. Loved & Loathed. Tyson & Hagler we’re real unlike Lenny Ray & Fraud Marchweather who were Pretty and likeable.

[@damianoreilly6577]

He 4got to mention about the Bolivian trbes who lost they were killed then eating suppose you cant cannibalism in there but look it up thats what happened🙄👀👀

[@usaisgood8433]

80's Tyson would KO 70's Ali and prob small 60's clay/Ali!

[@weenitomcchile1380]

nope. Ali is one of the most mentally tough fighters ever. Mike is the opposite.

[@kh7955]

Agreed

[@3rdpersonality48]

Hahaha funny comment comical .Ali pics Tyson apart man Ali after layoff out of prime went 15 rounds with a PRIME joe Frazier while Tyson was knocked out at 23 before jail ..prime Ali toys with Joe and Tyson ,mid 60's Ali beats most if not all heavyweight boxers 2 out of 3 ...Tyson couldn't go the distance with out of prime evander ..Ali's mentality along with skill footwork and chin would frustrate Tyson beyond belief

[@Mag484]

Holmes got robbed twice

[@JosephSpalliero]

Mike Tyson In the beginning showed he could go through a bunch of mediocre heavwights.Meaning Tyson fought heavyweights that were available at the moment, but not big name heavwights. And no not retired champs either. And not Holmes and Spinx ( retired, they don't count) Tyson in the beginning fought Burbicck Bruno , Pinky, Quick Tillis (,they were okay but not the best ) Now as the fighters become great heavwights Tyson didn't do to good.Infact he didn't win any of the great title defenses with the great heavwight champions.

[@levity2893]

unlike marvis . his father ha a good jaw

[@rockyfish3115]

In my opinion Frazier was better in the 3d fight, stronger fitter and would of won had he not been BLIND IN ONE EYE, that's why I know Marciano would whoop Ali cos Frazier only had a left hook the rock could bang with both and only two people in HW history were as fit as rocky and that's Frazier and holyfield Ali was not a big hitter let alone punching down,

[@weenitomcchile1380]

Pre exile Ali would have probably won every round against Marciano. Look at the Walcott fight. Ali was faster, more elusive, better chin, and better conditioned than a nearly 40 year old Walcott. I really like Marciano but Ali is actually the perfect style to defeat him.

[@kyndlehewett]

[[41:10]]

[@robjackson5245]

This should have some Klingons fighting. Cause boxing is Latino. And HBO boxing was too black for a boxing sport. This wasn' t "bro"-saying wog boxing, son. This shit too gangsta. Boxing is wack. HBO boxing should have been called "The Klingon Bum Rush". Yo and the show was 14 years into its run when "TNG" premiered. "TNG" was UPN/Warner Bros. shit and UPN was a real Warner Bros. network that acted Warner Bros.ish and actually did have roots in Warner Bros. (via PTEN), way more than wack white "Friends"-loving Tribune The WB. But yes, UPN was Paramount at the end of the day, and I plan on making a true Warner Bros. network called WB. No lame "The" before "WB." And besides only Paramount can create a new class of blackness called the Klingons. To call them Warner Bros./UPN (in the Warner Bros. sense) shit is to be inaccurate! Have Worf, Gowron, Kurn fucking it up, add Martok in later seasons, son. Word, deadazz. And HBO sucked. I know this was on TruTV, a network that was often a secondary network on UPN packages. Word! Including the poppin' flagship UPN 9 in New York.

[@kennealy2148]

What about Rocky Marciano? He should've been on here, he was undefeated during his time, he is one of the most greatest boxers of all time..

[@Cisco_Budge]

Ken Nealy Uh, Rocky Marciano never fought on HBO. He was about 20 years too early.

[@kennealy2148]

@@Cisco_Budge Doesn't matter where he fights... he's one of the greatest boxers ever...

[@Cisco_Budge]

@@kennealy2148 The special is called "HBO Boxing's Greatest Hits," not the greatest boxers in history. So if they didn't fight on HBO, they aren't on the special. If I remember right though HBO did do a video on Marciano. Back around that time they did a handful of really good boxing videos which were released on VHS. I probably still have most of them.

[@kennealy2148]

@@Cisco_Budge Show me the proof, I want to see it for real, but if you actually say that on, then you're right, then I believe you.

[@Cisco_Budge]

@@kennealy2148 Proof that this is an HBO special, that Marciano didn't fight on HBO or that HBO made a Marciano special? LOL I found a link to the Marciano video that HBO made. kzbin.info/www/bejne/maaudIyPe5qZo7s

[@terrenceperkins5282]

Spikes is a 🤡

[@CHICANO1975]

And Yes, Ray ducked Marvin, and Marvin was ROBBED against Ray.