Tag Archives: Jim Gray

boxing, Showtime, Showtime Boxing

SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® REPORTER JIM GRAY CALLS INDUCTION INTO INTERNATIONAL BOXING HALL OF FAME AN ‘UNLIKELY AND TREMENDOUS HONOR’

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Veteran Reporter Joins Former Play-By-Play Announcer Steve Albert As Sixth From SHOWTIME Sports® Tungod kay 2012 To Be Presented With Boxing’s Highest Honor

NEW YORK (Hunyo 11, 2018) – SHOWTIME Sports® veteran reporter Jim Gray was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame on Sunday in Canastota, N.Y., joining former colleague and longtime SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING play-by-play announcer Steve Albert in receiving boxing’s most prestigious honor.

 

 

 

Gray and Albert became the fifth and sixth SHOWTIME Sports talent enshrined in the Hall of Fame since 2012. They join boxing analyst Al Bernstein (2012), singsing nga tigpahibalo nga si Jimmy Lennon Jr.. (2013), analista ug istoryador nga si Steve Farhood (2017) and play-by-play announcer Barry Tompkins (2017).

 

 

 

In front of a large crowd that included close friends Mike Tyson, Don King, Deontay Wilder, Julius Irving, Jerry Richardson, Stedman Graham, Bob Costas and many others, the 59-year-old Southern California resident Gray reflected on 40-plus years of covering the sport of boxing. “My journey today has been an unlikely one,” Gray said during his induction speech. “The Boxing Hall of Fame immortalized all of these great fighters. So this magnificent honor comes with tremendous humility. How could this happen? I never took a punch.”

 

 

 

Gray, who started with SHOWTIME in 1994, was honored with a Special Individual Achievement Emmy Award – he currently has 12 Emmy’s in total – in 1997 for his interview of Mike Tyson following the heavyweight’s second loss to Evander Holyfield, the infamous “bite fight.” The National Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association also named that interview the “Sugilanon sa Broadcast sa Sports nga Tuig.” Dugang pa, the American Sportscasters Association has voted Gray “Sportscaster sa Tuig” sa 1998 and ‘99.

 

 

 

Gray chose Tyson to introduce him on Sunday during the induction ceremony. “It’s ironic,” said Gray. “The man who threatened to kill me in public is now inducting me into the Hall of Fame.”

 

 

 

“This award is way, way overdue,” an emotional Tyson said of his good friend. “I’m very proud of you. Well-deserved.”

 

 

 

With this past weekend’s induction ceremony, SHOWTIME Sports now boasts five current Hall of Famers featured on the network: Gray, Bernstein, Farhood, Tompkins and Lennon Jr.

 

 

 

“I am so pleased for Jim and Steve that they received this great honor,”Ingon ni David Dinkins Jr., Senior Vice President and Executive Producer of SHOWTIME Sports. “Jim Gray’s interviews and reporting have been an integral part of our SHOWTIME telecast from the beginning. Because of his skills and instincts we have been able to cover the events in depth. There have been countless times that Jim’s dogged pursuit of a story has enabled us to paint the complete picture of the event.”

 

 

 

Gray has forged one of the most memorable sports broadcasting careers in recent history, which includes a deep boxing resume. Gray has worked more than 1,200 fights and interviewed over 1,500 fighters throughout his career, lakip 20 of his fellow Hall of Famers, such as Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, George Foreman and future Hall of Famer Floyd Mayweather Jr. and many others ringside.

 

 

 

Outside of the ring, Gray has covered nearly every sport and landed some of the industry’s most lucrative interviews, including sit-downs with Michael Phelps, Tiger Woods, Tom Brady and Michael Jordan.

 

 

 

Albert spent two decades calling fights for SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING. Albert called more than 300 fights during his tenure with SHOWTIME, lakip na si Julio Cesar Chavez vs.. Greg Haugen sa atubangan sa 130,000 fans sa Azteca Stadium sa Mexico City, Tyson-Holyfield I & II and the epic Corrales vs. Castillo series.

 

 

 

“Steve Albert’s incredible preparation and perfect timing were the reasons for his memorable fight calls,” Dinkins said. “Steve was the voice of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING through the high profile fights of the Tyson and Chavez eras. He will be forever linked to those shows which helped establish our network as a major broadcaster of boxing.”

 

 

 

Both Gray and Albert earned induction into the Observer category, which recognizes outstanding achievements of print and media journalists, mga magmamantala, magsusulat, mga historyano, mga potograpo ug artista.

boxing, Showtime, Showtime Boxing

JIM GRAY UG STEVE ALBERT NGA NAPILI SA INTERNATIONAL BOXING HALL OF FAME

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Beterano nga SHOWTIME Sports® Ang Reporter nga si Jim Gray ug ang Dating Play-By-Play Announcer nga si Steve Albert Apil 2018 Klase Dungan sa Vitali Klitschko, Eric Morales ug Ronald "Winky" Wright

SHOWTIME Sports veteran reporter Jim Gray ug kaniadto, dugay na nga tigpahibalo sa pagdula Steve Albert napili sa 2018 klase sa International Boxing Hall of Fame, kini gipahibalo sa Hall kaniadtong Martes.

Si Gray ug Albert nakakuha og induction sa kategorya nga Observer, nga nakaila sa talagsaong mga nahimo sa mga tigbalita sa print ug electronic media, mga sportscasters, mga magmamantala, magsusulat, mga historyano, mga potograpo ug artista. Si Gray ug Albert moapil sa SHOWTIME Sports boxing analis nga si Al Bernstein (2012), singsing nga tigpahibalo nga si Jimmy Lennon Jr.. (2013), analista ug istoryador nga si Steve Farhood (2017) ug tigpahibalo nga si Barry Tompkins (2017) sa International Boxing Hall of Fame.

Kanhi kampeyon sa heavyweight nga si Vitali Klitschko, ang upat nga dibisyon sa kalibutan nga kampeon nga si Eric Morales ug ang wala pa malalis nga super welterweight world champion Ronald "Winky" Wright nga nag-ulohan sa 2018 klase sa induksiyon. Ang bag-ong napili nga klase igatudlo sa panahon sa Hall of Fame Weekend Hunyo 7-10, 2018, sa Canastota, N.Y..

"Kitang tanan sa SHOWTIME Sports nga nagtrabaho kauban sila Jim ug Steve sa daghang katuigan nalipay nga nadawat nila kini nga angayan gyud nga dungog,”Ingon ni David Dinkins Jr., Executive Producer, Showtime Sports. "Parehas nga nakatabang sa paghimo sa SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® franchise. Ang mga interbyu ni Jim nahimo’g klasiko nga drama pagkahuman sa away samtang ang mga tawag sa away ni Steve hinungdanon sa pila ka labing kahinungdan nga mga yugto sa kasaysayan sa boksing. ”

Si Gray usa ka reporter sa SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING gikan pa 1994, ug nakaangkon 11 Emmy Awards sa tibuuk niya nga karera, lakip ang usa alang sa iyang pakighinabi kay Mike Tyson nunot sa bantog nga pagkawala sa mabug-at nga "pagkagat sa away" ni Evander Holyfield. Ang National Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association ginganlan usab kana nga pakigsulti sa “Sugilanon sa Broadcast sa Sports nga Tuig.” Dugang pa, ang American Sportscasters Association nagboto kay Gray “Sportscaster sa Tuig” sa 1998 ug 1999.

Sa tibuuk nga upat ka dekada niyang karera isip usa ka reporter, Gitabunan sa abohon ang daghang mga Super Bowl, World Series, Olympics, NBA Finals ug NCAA Final Fours, ug nainterbyu ang kadaghanan sa labing gibantog nga mga pigura sa isports sa kini nga panahon lakip na si Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, Kobe Bryant, Tom Brady, Pete Rose, Michael Jordan ug daghan pa.

Usa sa labing maila nga tingog sa isport, Si Albert miapil sa SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING wala madugay pagkahuman sa pagsugod niini sa 1986. Sa usa ka panahon nga naglungtad sa kapin duha ka dekada, nanawag ang bantog nga magsisibya sa tibuuk kalibutan 300 away sa titulo, lakip na si Julio Cesar Chavez vs.. Greg Haugen sa atubangan sa 130,000 fans sa Azteca Stadium sa Mexico City, ug Tyson-Holyfield I & II. Sa 2007, Nadawat ni Albert ang The Sam Taub Award alang sa kaayo sa broadcast journalism sa Boxing Writers Association of America.

Dugang sa boksing, Gigasto ni Albert 19 panahon nga naglangkob sa NBA, paggasto 13 sa mga tuig uban sa Nets, lima uban ang Golden State Warriors ug usa sa New Orleans Hornets. Naghimo usab play-by-play si Albert alang sa New York Mets, Mga jet, Mga Islander ug Rangers, ingon man ang New Jersey Devils.

Ang pag-ila sa International Boxing Hall of Fame mao ang sangputanan sa usa ka karera sa pagkugi ug mga nahimo alang sa usa ka Gray ug Albert.

boxing, CBS Boxing, Premier Boxing Champions, Showtime, Showtime Boxing

SUGAR RAY LEONARD & DAVID DINKINS JR. MEDIA CONFERENCE CALL HIGHLIGHTS

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“These are the type of fights that are going to bring boxing back to where it used to be.” – Sugar Ray Leonard

SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING on CBS, presented by Premier Boxing Champions,

Live in Primetime on CBS From Barclays Center in Brooklyn

NEW YORK (Marso 1, 2017) – Boxing Hall of Famer and former undisputed welterweight world champion Sugar Ray Leonard ug David Dinkins Jr., SHOWTIME Sports Senior Vice President and Executive Producer, hosted a media conference call sa Miyerkules to discuss Leonard joining the CBS broadcast team for Sabado sa welterweight unification between undefeated champions Keith Thurman and Danny Garcia. Esteban Espinoza, Executive Vice President and General Manger, Showtime Sports, began the call with some opening remarks.

 

The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING on CBS, presented by Premier Boxing Champions, broadcast will air live on CBS from 9-11 sa gabii. UG/6-8 sa gabii. PT from Barclays Center in Brooklyn, sa balay sa Brooklyn Boxing ™. The broadcast is presented by Premier Boxing Champions and produced by SHOWTIME Sports® for CBS Television, both divisions of the CBS Corporation.

 

Leonard will join the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING broadcast team sa Sabado alongside host Brian Custer, play-by-play voice Mauro Ranallo, International Boxing Hall of Fame analyst Al Bernstein and Sports Emmy® Award-winning reporter Jim Gray.

 

A five-division titlist and one of the most decorated boxers of all-time, Leonard brings unique perspective to the broadcast booth having been in a similar situation to Thurman and Garcia more than 35 ka tuig ang milabay. Garcia, the WBC 147-pound titleholder, and Thurman, his WBA counterpart, will unify the exact same titles that Leonard (WBC) and fellow Hall of Famer Thomas Hearns (WBA) unified in their classic 1981 Fight sa Tuig.

 

Leonard made his professional boxing debut on CBS in 1977, less than one year after he won gold at the ‘76 Olympics in Montreal as part of what is considered the greatest American boxing team in Olympic history. Ang Marso 4 event will reunite Leonard with former CBS producer and current SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING Executive Producer Dinkins Jr.

 

Below is what the principals said Miyerkules on the conference call:

 

SUGAR RAY LEONARD

 

“I was telling David [Dinkins] karon, this is the perfect matchup. Ako nagpasabut, you have two incredible fighters, each one of them with their own style and confidence with Keith and Danny. What also raises an eye is the unification. That’s big time for any fighter. And if these fighters can live up to their expectations, I think it’s going to be a home run, without question.

 

“These are the type of fights that are going to bring boxing back to where it used to be. It’s going to require these type of fights, these type of individuals, these type of athletes, these type of potential super stars, to really change and make boxing what it used to be.”

 

On the importance of having these types of fights on network television and what it takes to bring the sport back to what it used to be…

“These two young men, these two champions, these undefeated fighters, they fit the mold. I talk to people all of the time about what fights they want to see and this is a fight that has star-quality to it.”

 

On the advantages of each fighter…

“I look at Keith, and I’ve been watching, over and over, tapes of his previous fight. Pag-usab, each of them bring something to the table. Keith Thurman, seems to me, a little more fundamentally sound than Danny Garcia. But Danny Garcia, has a neutralizer. One thing I think is a big factor for the actual fight itself, is that both guys are great champs and both of them could take punches. Busa, Wala ako mahibalo. Put it this way, I wouldn’t bet my house.

 

“I do favor Thurman because he just seems to be a little bit more poised and collected. He just seems to be that kind of guy. Una sa tanan, he would never give up. Nor would Danny. But I just lean… it’s just my gut that tells me that Keith is a little bit more solid than Danny.”

 

On Danny Garcia…

“He’s just a guy that has that internal fortitude. He has heart, big heart. And he doesn’t give in. I think he’s the kind of fighter, you know where people short-change him. But I look at him and he’s one of those fighters that, I don’t train – I never train at all – but he’s the kind of fighter that I would enjoy training. Because he deserves to be up there.”

 

On the importance of facing the best opponents possible…

“That’s extremely important. Maayo na lang, I was in an era where there were just a lot of guys out there who were so talented. If given the chance they would prove to be champions.

 

“I always thought that we had to continue to raise the bar as a fighter, as a champion, and continue to fight better and better competition. When I was fighting, I swear, I wanted to be the underdog -psychologically, spiritually and mentally, if I wasn’t challenged, if I wasn’t considered somewhat of an underdog, I couldn’t perform the way I normally would. It’s what would get me going.

 

“I have said this a number of times: This fight is going to be bigger and better than what we anticipate because of what is at stake.

 

“The advantage [for me] was the television network exposure, without question. I loved that. It pumped me up because I loved the exposure. I loved the attention. I loved the fights and that’s what also helped me to be the fighter that I became.

 

On what it’s like being ringside and broadcasting a unification welterweight fight much like the fights and titles he’s fought for…

“It is an out-of-body experience. It’s déjà vu. Like holy, Ako mao 60. It’s a kind of thing that is so special and it’s so rare of a unification it seems like. It speaks volumes to me as far as the significance of it. And these guys, Keith and Danny, they know it. They realize it.”

 

DAVID DINKINS JR.

 

“When we were discussing the upcoming Thurman-Garcia fight in our senior staff meeting, many of us longtime fight fans thought about Ray’s first fight with Thomas Hearns and the many parallels there with Danny Garcia and Keith Thurman. You have two undefeated fighters and two titlists who have been on a path toward each other since Danny moved up from being a unified champion at super lightweight and moved into the welterweight ranks and gained a world title at 147 libra.

 

“Ray and Tommy were two stars who it just seemed inevitable that they would fight. We feel the same way about Keith and Danny. You have two undefeated champions and it’s inevitable that they would meet and declare who would be the No. 1 fighter sa 147 libra.

 

“I’m so happy that Ray can join us for this telecast and he and I have discussed over the past few days the many similarities between his circumstance during the Golden Era of Boxing when he had rivals like [Roberto] Duran, Hearns and [Wilfred] Benitez at 147 libra.

 

“To make the situation even sweeter it reunites myself and Ray after we had worked together years ago at CBS. He along with Tim Ryan ug Gil Clancy formed a very entertaining announce team. Ray was in and out of retirement at that point. So his full-time, part-time job up at CBS was terrific fun. We got to see some great fights and work together. And now he joins Mauro Ranallo and Al Bernstein, who is also a Hall of Famer just like Ray is, ringside this Sabado. It’s just incredible great fortune that Ray was available to join us and be a significant contributor sa Sabado."

 

Esteban Espinoza, Executive Vice President ug General Manager, Showtime Sports

 

“SHOWTIME continues to deliver the strongest lineup of any network in boxing. We are delivering the biggest and most meaningful fights and delivering to the largest possible audience. With none on pay-per-view.

 

“Kini nga Sabado SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING will present the most anticipated fight of the year live on America’s most watched network, CBS. Danny Garcia versus Keith Thurman is without question the best fighting the best. They are two undefeated champions with a combined record of 60 wins and zero losses and squaring off in the prime of their careers to determine who the top dog is in boxing’s marquee division.

 

“SHOWTIME has really made it our mission to televise the top-rated champions against the top-rated challengers in boxing’s most compelling weight classes.

 

“The fans have taken note, and the momentum continues to rise. Adrien Broner ug Adrian Granados fought a close fight two weeks ago that was our most watched main event sa duha ka tuig.

 

“This is just the second primetime fight on CBS in nearly 40 years since Ali-Spinks in 1978. We are grateful to our colleagues at CBS who are helping to deliver this important event for boxing. It is critical that we put our best foot forward in a very hyper competitive television market, and that is certainly what we are doing Sabado night on CBS.”

 

ABOUT GARCIA vs. Thurman

Danny Garcia vs. Keith Thurman is a welterweight world title showdown between undefeated 147-pound titlists. The 12-round bout headlinesSHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING on CBS, presented by Premier Boxing Champions, Sabado Marso 4 gikan sa Barclays Center, sa balay sa Brooklyn Boxing ™. In the co-main event undefeated rising star Erickson Lubin battles once-beaten knockout artist Jorge Cota in a super welterweight title eliminator bout on CBS at 9 sa gabii. UG/6 sa gabii. PT.

 

Ang mga tiket alang sa live event, nga gipasiugdahan sa DiBella Entertainment, magsugod sa $50 (dili lakip na ang magamit fees) ug sa sale karon. Tiket mahimong gipalit online pinaagi sa pagbisita sa www.ticketmaster.com, www.barclayscenter.com o pinaagi sa pagtawag 1-800-745-3000. Tiket anaa usab sa sa American Express Box Office sa Barclays Center. Group diskwento anaa pinaagi sa pagtawag sa 844-BKLYN-GP.

 

Alang sa dugang nga impormasyon pagbisita www.SHO.com/Sports mosunod sa TwitterSHOSports, KeithFThurmanJr, DannySwift, LouDiBella, BarclaysCenter UgSwanson_Comm o mahimo nga usa ka fan sa Facebook sa www.Facebook.com/SHOSports, www.Facebook.com/DiBellaEntertainment, www.Facebook.com/barclayscenter. PBC is sponsored by Corona, labing maayo nga Beer.

 

boxing, Showtime Boxing

EXCLUSIVE, CANDID INTERVIEW WITH FLOYD MAYWEATHER TO PREMIERE SATURDAY ON SHOWTIME®

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Mayweather Goes In-Depth on Pacquiao Injury, the Possibility of a Rematch and Fighting Beyond Next September

SHOWTIME Premiere of World Championship Bout—Mayweather vs. Pacquiao—at 9 sa gabii. UG/PT Followed by Exclusive Interview and the Premiere of “INSIDE MAYWEATHER vs. PACQUIAO Epilogue”

NEW YORK (Mayo 7, 2015)—Sports Emmy® Award winning reporter Jim Gray of SHOWTIME Sports® sat down with pound-for-pound champion Floyd “Money” Mayweather for an exclusive and candid interview late Martes sa gabii, just days after Mayweather dominated Manny “PacMan” Pacquiao en route to a 12-round unanimous decision victory last Saturday night in Las Vegas. The interview will premiere this Sabado, Mayo 9, sa Showtime immediately following the network’s premiere of Mayweather vs. Pacquiao (9 sa gabii. UG/PT).

 

Sa interview, Mayweather addresses the claim made by Pacquiao’s camp that the Philippine fighter sustained an injury to his right shoulder that hampered his ability during the bout. Mayweather also discusses the possibility of a rematch with Pacquiao and fighting beyond his next scheduled event in September.

 

“Absolutely not,” Mayweather told Gray when asked if he could detect a problem with Pacquiao’s shoulder during the bout. “He was fast. His left hand was fast. His right hand was fast and he was throwing them both fast and strong.

 

“Excuses, excuses, excuses,” continued Mayweather, who remains undefeated in his professional career with 48 daog, no losses and no draws.

 

“I’m not going to buy into the bull—… and I don’t want the public to buy into the bull—-. He lost. He knows he lost. I lost a lot of respect for him after all of this.”

 

Mayweather goes on to address the possibility of a rematch.

 

“Did I text Stephen A. Smith and say I will fight him again? Yeah, but I change my mind,” said Mayweather. “At this particular time, dili, because he’s a sore loser and he’s a coward… If you lost, accept the loss and say, ‘Mayweather, you were the better fighter.’”

 

The compelling interview will air immediately following the SHOWTIME premiere of the welterweight world championship unification bout at 9 sa gabii. UG/PT. The interview will be immediately followed by the premiere of SULOD Mayweather vs. PACQUIAO Epilogue, the acclaimed original documentary series from SHOWTIME Sports.

 

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Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), sa usa ka bug-os nga gipanag-iya subsidiary sa CBS Corporation, owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, as well as the multiplex channels SHOWTIME 2™, SHOWTIME® SHOWCASE, SHOWTIME EXTREME®, SHOWTIME BEYOND®, SHOWTIME NEXT®, SHOWTIME WOMEN®, SHOWTIME FAMILY ZONE® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ XTRA. SNI also offers SHOWTIME HD™, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ HD, SHOWTIME ON DEMAND®, FLIX ON DEMAND® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ ON DEMAND, and the network’s authentication service SHOWTIME ANYTIME®. SNI usab manager Smithsonian Networks ™, usa ka hiniusa nga tinuyo sa taliwala sa SNI ug sa Smithsonian Institution, nga nagtanyag Smithsonian Channel ™. Ang tanan nga SNI feeds sa paghatag og mas gipanindot nga tingog sa paggamit sa Dolby Digital 5.1. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV®.