Throwing In The Towel: ESPN Cancels "Wednesday Night Fights"

ESPN has confirmed that it is canceling its "Wednesday Night Fights" boxing series, which was first reported on Boxingscene.com. But the network said the move was not "ordered by Disney," as the site alleged. "We cancelled it because boxing is not delivering the sponsorship and viewer interest we would like," ESPN VP/Communications Mike Soltys said. ESPN still plans to carry "Friday Night Fights." The final Wednesday night episode was August 13 (John Ourand, THE DAILY). BOXINGSCENE.com's Rick Reeno cited sources as saying that Disney had ordered ESPN to drop "Wednesday Night Fights" and to "focus everything on the Friday Night Fights series in 2009." Reeno reported it is possible ESPN will use "some of the saved funds from WNF to upgrade some of the Friday night cards" (BOXINGSCENE.com, 10/8). SPORTINGNEWS.com’s Dave Larzelere wrote the news is a “mixed blessing for fight fans.” The number of primetime, basic cable, weekly boxing programs “will be cut in half,” but neither of the shows has been able to “draw top quality bouts for years.” Larzelere: "I'm hopeful the move will solidify 'Friday Night Fights' into a more bankable entertaining enterprise and maybe even make it into a player in the big-fight sweepstakes” (SPORTINGNEWS.com, 10/8).