Rating Bells Ring as Networks Offer a Flurry of Boxing

If watching the America’s Cup made you seasick, you may also get punch-drunk from all the boxing on television these days.

Why so much? Television executives may not like the sport because of its brutality and shady characters, but it delivers something they like very much--solid ratings.

For example, boxing on NBC last year drew an average Nielsen rating of 5.1.

Meanwhile, college basketball on NBC this season is averaging a 3.6 rating. On CBS, the average is 4.7, and for ABC’s four telecasts thus far, the average is only 2.6.

Last Saturday, NBC televised a college basketball doubleheader, Kansas vs. Louisville followed by Washington vs. USC. In Los Angeles, the first game drew a 1.8 rating and the USC game drew a 2.2.

There will be four fights of note televised this weekend.

Tonight at 6, Showtime offers Olympic gold-medal winner Mark Breland challenging Harold Volbrecht of South Africa for the World Boxing Assn.’s vacant welterweight title at Atlantic City, N.J.

The announcers will be NBC’s Marv Albert and Ferdie Pacheco. The producer will be Chuck Howard, formerly of ABC.

Tonight at 5:30, ESPN will televise a card featuring unbeaten middleweights Michael Nunn and Willie Harris, live from the Country Club in Reseda. This is the second time that fights at the Country Club have been featured on ESPN’s weekly boxing show and the second time that Nunn has been the attraction.

Nunn defeated Alex Ramos on ESPN last Nov. 21. He is 20-0 with 12 knockouts. Harris, of Philadelphia, is 21-0 with 18 knockouts.

Another attractive fight, Donald Curry facing a former sparring partner, Tony Montgomery, at Las Vegas will be televised by CBS Saturday at 2 p.m.

It’s Curry’s first fight since he was stunned by Britain’s Lloyd Honeyghan last September. Honeyghan stopped Curry in the sixth round at Atlantic City, taking Curry’s welterweight title.

Curry, 25-1 with 20 knockouts, has moved up from the 147-pound division to the 154-pound junior middleweight class. He blamed the loss to Honeyghan on having to lose 21 pounds to make weight.

Saturday’s fight against Montgomery, 17-0 and 10 knockouts, is a 12-rounder. Joining commentator Gil Clancy for this telecast will be CBS newcomer Tim Brant.

Sunday on “SportsWorld,” NBC features Vinnie Pazienza, 21-1 and 17 knockouts, in a 10-round lightweight bout against Roberto Elizondo, 30-5 and 23 knockouts, in Pazienza’s hometown, Providence, R.I.

This is to be a big month for televised boxing. Here are some of the other fights to look for:

--Next Thursday, Los Angeles heavyweights Avery Rawls and Rufus Hadley will square off on ESPN in a 10-rounder at Las Vegas.

--Saturday, Feb. 14, it’s Willie deWitt vs. Smokin’ Bert Cooper on CBS in a 10-round heavyweight bout at Regina, Canada; and on ABC, it’s Evander Holyfield vs. Henry Tillman in a 15-round WBA junior heavyweight title bout at Reno.

--Sunday, Feb. 15, it’s Frankie Warren vs. Gene Hatcher on NBC in a 10-round junior welterweight title fight at Sacramento.

--Friday, Feb. 20, it’s Doug DeWitt vs. Jose Quinones on ESPN in a 10-round middleweight bout at San Juan, Puerto Rico.

--Saturday, Feb. 21, CBS offers Bobby Czyz and Willie Davis in a 15-round International Boxing Federation light heavyweight title fight at Atlantic City.

--Sunday, Feb. 22, ABC will televise a welterweight title fight between Honeyghan and Johnny Bumphus.

--Tuesday, Feb. 24, ESPN will televise a 12-round junior middleweight bout between Harold Brazier and John Meekins at Atlantic City. “This is possibly the best fight we’ll televise this year,” said ESPN commentator Al Bernstein.

Those who follow boxing closely give ESPN’s Bernstein high marks for his work. What they say, generally, is that Bernstein is knowledgeable and that his commentary is fair and balanced.

Said NBC boxing coordinator Kevin Monaghan: “He ranks right up there with Ferdie and Gil Clancy. They’re the three best on television.”

Said Bernstein, while in town this week: “I cover the story that’s in front of me. I don’t go into a fight with any preconceived ideas and prejudices.”

A former newspaper man--an investigative reporter who later became the managing editor of a local newspaper chain in the Chicago area--Bernstein was working as a city government public information officer for the suburb of Skokie, Ill., when ESPN came to Chicago in 1980 to televise a fight.

A former amateur boxer who in 1977 had written a book, “Boxing for Beginners,” Bernstein convinced the then-new cable network that it should use him as a commentator on the fight. He has been doing boxing for ESPN ever since.

TV-Radio Notes Besides boxing and the usual onslaught of college basketball, there’s also the NBA All-Star game Sunday at noon on CBS. . . . WTBS will be in Seattle to provide live coverage of the slam-dunk and long-distance shooting contests Saturday afternoon and delayed coverage on the Legends game Saturday night. Highlights of all three events will be televised by CBS Sunday. . . . ABC’s “Wide World of Sports” Saturday and Sunday will feature the U.S. Figure Skating championships and the World Alpine Skiing championships. . . . Figure skater Debi Thomas, the defending U.S. champion, was recently named “Wide World of Sports” athlete of the year. . . . ABC had planned to televise a one-hour special on the America’s Cup on Sunday, Feb. 15, but moved it up to this Sunday at 5 p.m. because of Stars & Stripes’ four-race sweep. . . . NBC has signed former ABC racing commentator Jackie Stewart.

ABC is close to signing horse racing announcer Dave Johnson, who served as co-host of the first three Breeders’ Cup telecasts for NBC. Johnson, among other things, would work the Triple Crown races for ABC. . . . Tonight at 8, Channel 56 offers “Strub Stakes Special,” a preview of Sunday’s race. Charleye Wright will be the host. Guests include Richard Small, trainer of Broad Bush, and Bruce Headley, trainer of Variety Road. . . . Chris McCarron will be the guest host of “Racing From Santa Anita” on Channel 56 and Prime Ticket next Tuesday night. His guests will be actor Tim Conway and trainer Gary Jones. McCarron, who suffered a badly broken leg in a mishap at Santa Anita last Oct. 16, is expected to resume riding in early March.