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LEONARD-RAY SETS NEW RATINGS RECORD
Friday 13 September 2002
Last night's HBO broadcast of the International Boxing League fight card from Connecticut has set a new record for boxing television ratings with 16.4 million viewers tuning in to watch the event. This figure surpassed the previous record of 15.6 million which occured back on May 31 for one of the Heavyweight Boxing Federation's cards. HBO programming director Milt Jacobs was ecstatic about the news this morning.
"The IBL has been achieving really strong ratings ever since competition in their tournaments kicked off a couple of weeks ago," he said. "Their first card topped 15 million and a some others have come close. But last night was just incredible."
The card at Ledyard's Foxwoods Resort Casino was headlined by the much anticipated Welterweight clash between Olympic gold medallist Ray Leonard and Florida Alliance member James Ray. The bout ended in a draw after Leonard fought back in its bottom half, overcoming early struggles to avoid defeat. James Ray's cousin and fellow Alliance member Elmer Ray was in the main event of the May 31 card that previously held the ratings record so it's clear that the Florida Alliance is quite a draw card.
"The fight really caught the public's imagination," said Jacobs. "You had the charismatic young Olympian who is regarded as the best Welterweight in the world and the inexperienced but fantastically talented James Ray, who many think is capable of challenging Leonard for that world's best title."
It seems a forgone conclusion that the next card to feature Leonard and Ray, scheduled for five weeks from now, will also prove a ratings bonanza for Home Box Office...
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