Showtime Championship Boxing is a television boxing program airing on Showtime. Debuting in March 1986, it is broadcast live on the first Saturday of every month. Showtime Championship Boxing, which is very similar to HBO World Championship Boxing, features Mauro Ranallo on blow-by-blow, Al Bernstein as the color analyst, Jimmy Lennon (Sr. and Jr.) as announcers, and Jim Gray as reporter.
"Marvelous" Marvin Hagler defeated John "The Beast" Mugabi in an 11th-round knockout on the debut broadcast of Showtime Championship Boxing in March 1986.
Nigel Benn defended his WBC Super-Middleweight title against Gerald McClellan in a dramatic fight that almost turned tragic by winning on a tenth-round technical knockout at London, England, on February 25, 1995. McClellan subsequently spent two months in a coma due to a massive brain injury and suffered blindness, impaired hearing, and inability to walk. Benn himself suffered from a broken nose and jaw, urinating blood and a shadow of a brain injury.
Diego Corrales defeated José Luis Castillo for the WBC lightweight title in a 10th-round TKO on May 7, 2005. The fight is almost universally regarded as the best fight of 2005.
The four fight series of Israel Vázquez and Rafael Márquez. Marquez won the first fight on March 3, 2007, after Vazquez couldn't continue after round 7. Vázquez would knock out Marquez in the sixth round of their second fight on August 4, 2007. This fight won Fight of the Year and Round of the Year (Round 3) honors for 2007 by The Ring. Their 3rd fight was considered to be the most exciting, which took place on March 1, 2008. Vazquez won the fight by split decision, after an incredible twelfth-round which saw Vázquez knock Márquez into the ropes, which prevented Marquez from hitting the canvas, resulting in a critical knockdown in the closing seconds of the fight. This fight was recognized as Fight of the Year for 2008 by Ring magazine as well. Marquez won their fourth fight by a third-round technical knockout.
On June 25, 2016, sister network CBS broadcast a WBC welterweight champipnship fight between Shawn Porter and Keith Thurman, marking the first boxing event broadcast on CBS in primetime since 1978. The telecast, although part of the Premier Boxing Champions arrangement, was produced by Showtime and billed as Showtime Championship Boxing on CBS presented by Premier Boxing Champions. Thurman retained the WBC title via a unanimous decision.
On March 4, 2017, CBS aired Thurman's WBA/WBC welterweight unification bout against Danny García. Once again, the fight was broadcast in primetime as a Showtime presentation of Premier Boxing Champions. The fight, which Thurman won in a split decision, received a 2.2 Nielsen rating (a 22% gain over Thurman vs. Porter).
Brian Kenny, formerly of ESPN, currently serves as host of the program. The main broadcast team features Mauro Ranallo on blow-by-blow, Al Bernstein as chief color analyst and (when he is available) boxer Paulie Malignaggi as an analyst. Amir Khan, Austin Trout, and Daniel Jacobs have served as guest analysts. The third role was previously filled by Antonio Tarver, Ferdie Pacheco and Bobby Czyz among others. Veteran Jim Gray is chief reporter. Former top commentators include Steve Albert and Gus Johnson.
Showtime Championship Boxing has had a spinoff series, ShoBox: The New Generation.
This program celebrated its 20th-anniversary year in 2006 and its 25th-anniversary year in 2011. For the 30th anniversary (2016), a companion historical series SCB30 has also been shown on Showtime Extreme.
Older fights from Showtime air on ESPN Classic and ESPN2.
Reruns of Showtime Championship Boxing have started to appear on CBS Sports Network (Showtime's sister network) in 2014.
