Lampley was not wrong; from its inception in the early 1970s to the late 2010s, HBO World Championship Boxing was more than just a sports television series —it was a cultural institution of sorts.

Alvarez, promoted by Golden Boy, will be the big get as boxing's pay-per-view king. His close decision win over Golovkin in their rematch on Sept. 15 on HBO PPV generated around 1.1 million buys.

It was the 76-year-old's first show since Dec. 2018, when HBO boxing officially closed its doors. Lampley is also hoping to be at the broadcast table for Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford on ...