The only fight on the calendar year of 1976 for HBO was the June 19th fight between Alexis Arguello and Salvador Torres. The Nicaraguan champion was making his mark as one of the greats in the sport. However he was far from a household name in America.
HBO decided to tap into the pool of talent from the 1976 Olympic games in Montreal. Their lone broadcast of 1977 featured Leon Spinks in a heavyweight clash vs. Bruce Scott on June 1, 1977. Spinks finished his replacement opponent in the 3rd round via KO.
The first fight on the year of 1978 was a light heavyweight brawl between veterans Mike Rossman and Yaqui Lopez. Lopez won the decision on the March 2nd bout. Neither boxers were marquee names by any means however.
The fighter that would change the landscape of HBO boxing for good made his first appearance that summer. Sugar Ray Leonard, the 1976 Olympic gold medalist, won a unanimous decision over Dick Ecklund on July 18th in Boston. It would be the first of many cards for Ray and HBO had discovered its new face.
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