New York, NY (February 24, 2016) – MSG Networks’ New York Emmy Award-winning series “The Lineup” will return with “Boxing’s Greatest.” “The Lineup: Boxing’s Greatest” presented by the Tri-State Ford Dealers, includes five new episodes premiering Monday, February 29 at 10:30 p.m. with “The Lineup: Greatest Fight of All Time.” The series will examine the best boxers and boxing matches in five categories to decide the best of the best.
“The Lineup: Boxing’s Greatest” series features an expert panel from the boxing industry that includes Showtime boxing analyst and boxing historian Steve Farhood, Boxing Hall of Fame members Larry Holmes and Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini, and actor, screenwriter and retired boxer Mickey Rourke. Hosted by veteran broadcaster and former Yankees catcher Fran Healy the panel debates and ultimately decides on the top boxers and fights from the selected categories of boxing.
Each 30-minute episode will present five fighters or fights as the panel of experts discuss their personal experience and opinions on the five categories. The episodes include the Greatest Fight of All Time, The Greatest Heavyweight of All Time, The Greatest Pound for Pound Fighter, The Best Fantasy Bout and The Best Puncher of All Time.
“The Lineup: Boxing’s Greatest” is the fifth installment from “The Lineup” franchise. “The Lineup: New York’s All-Time Best Baseball Players” premiered in 2010, “The Lineup: Hits & Errors – The Best and Worst Deals in New York Baseball” made its debut in 2012 “The Lineup: Best Sports Movies” in 2013 and “The Lineup: Best NY Movies” was unveiled in 2014. Since its debut, the franchise has garnered 40 New York Emmy Award nominations and won seventeen times.
PROGRAMMING SCHEDULE
Monday, February 29 @ 10:30 p.m. – “The Lineup: Greatest Fight of All Time”
Friday, March 4 @ 11:00 p.m. – “The Lineup: Greatest Heavyweight of All Time”
Sunday, March 20 @ 11:00 p.m. – “The Lineup: Greatest Pound for Pound Fighter”
Monday, March 21 @ 10:30 p.m. – “The Lineup: Best Fantasy Bout”
Monday, March 28 @ 11:30 p.m. – “The Lineup: Best Puncher of All Time”
QUOTES FROM THE SERIES
Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini on the greatest puncher of all time:
“The hardest puncher of all time is Earnie Shavers, bar none. But the best puncher of all time, and that’s two different things, is Sandy Saddler.”
Steve Farhood on a fantasy bout he would most like to see:
“I have to go Frazier vs. Tyson, I mean from a matchmakers stand point it is going to be exciting someone is going to go down and you won’t get a bad fight.”
Steve Farhood on the greatest fighter of all time:
“Ray Robinson gets my vote, right fighter at the right time. One of the greatest crimes in boxing is that there is no footage or film of Ray Robinson as a welterweight and everyone says that he was at his best as a welterweight.”
Steve Farhood on the greatest heavyweight of all time:
“Number one (Muhammad) Ali for a very simple reason: he beat everyone in the best era of the heavyweight division.”
Mickey Rourke on a fantasy bout he would most like to see:
“I would have to go with Frazier vs. Tyson, but of course just for the hell of it, I would go with Ali vs. Marciano just to get it off the table.”
Mickey Rourke on Joe Louis:
“He fought at a time that there were a lot of very good heavy weights around him. He had everything, he had the boxer’s style, he had the footwork which people underestimate, a great jab, he threw a great short right hand, a short left hook, he was the boxer’s boxer.”
Larry Holmes on fighting Earnie Shavers:
“I tell people now that the hardest puncher that I ever fought or sparred with is Earnie Shavers. Earnie Shavers punched harder than anyone I had ever fought. I didn’t want to get hit like that ever again, matter of fact I have a scar right on top of my head from that. Earnie Shavers is my man.”