Celebrity Boxing
Encyclopedia
Celebrity Boxing was a FOX
television show, in which celebrities whose careers and/or notoriety had diminished were pitted against each other in exhibition boxing matches. The contestants wore headgear during the fights, which were scheduled for three rounds apiece. Two episodes of the show were aired.
In 2002 TV Guide
ranked it number 6 on its TV Guide's 50 Worst TV Shows of All Time list.
. The fights featured were Danny Bonaduce
vs. Barry Williams
, Todd Bridges
vs. Vanilla Ice
and Paula Jones
vs. Tonya Harding
.
Bonaduce vs. Williams: Bonaduce was introduced by ring announcer Michael Buffer
as Danny "Boom Boom" Bonaduce. He had a GoldenPalace.com
temporary tattoo on his back. Williams was billed as "Barry Da Butcher." Bonaduce dominated the bout, knocking Williams down five times before Williams' trainer threw in the towel in round two.
Bridges vs. Ice: Bridges was introduced as Todd "Mad Dog" Bridges. Ice was introduced as "Bi-Polar". Meanwhile, Ice had Tank Abbott
working in his corner. Bridges was in control throughout nearly the entire fight, flooring Ice in rounds one and two. All three judges scored the bout 30-27 in his favor.
Jones vs. Harding: Tonya Harding was billed as "TNT," and was also sponsored by GoldenPalace.com. Jones was presented as Paula "The Arkansas Pounder" Jones. Both contestants declined to have their weights disclosed. Jones reportedly took the bout as a late replacement for Amy Fisher
, and she appeared reluctant to fight. She frequently turned and ran away from Harding whenever she was hit, and at one point attempted to hide behind the referee. In the final round, she at last announced that she did not wish to continue with the bout. Harding was awarded the victory by technical knockout.
. Darva Conger
took on Olga Korbut
in the opening bout. This fight was followed by Dustin Diamond
vs. Ron Palillo
and Manute Bol
vs. William "Refrigerator" Perry. Joey Buttafuoco
took on Joanie "Chyna" Laurer in the main event. "Weird Al" Yankovic
was first approached to fight Chyna, but he didn't see it as a positive career move to fight with a woman on national television. Adam Carolla was also approached but also declined to fight. He claimed on loveline
that the Fox representative said she'd been "talking smack" about him.
Barry Williams also appeared in this episode, singing "The Star-Spangled Banner
" before the first bout, and conducting interviews with some of the fighters.
Conger vs. Korbut: Korbut, who had been charged with shoplifting $
19 worth of groceries just four months prior to this match, was rocked by Conger on several occasions, but was never knocked down, and managed to last until the final bell. Conger won via unanimous decision.
Diamond vs. Palillo: Palillo, who was introduced as "The Pulverizer," attempted to stare Diamond down, and even shoved him after the fighters had been given their pre-fight instructions. Once the bell rang, however, Diamond was in complete control. Palillo was knocked down twice in round two, and the fight was stopped at the time 1:23 in the same round. Palillo finished the bout with a pair of black eyes. Lawrence Leritz
was the boxing coach.
Bol vs. Perry: Bol utilized lateral movement and his 102-inch reach to outbox the nearly-immobile Perry, winning a decision by the scores of 30-27 on all cards. Bol stated in a post-fight interview that he would donate his purse to relief efforts for victims of the Second Sudanese Civil War
.
Buttafuoco vs. Laurer: Laurer was a late substitute for John Wayne Bobbitt, who had been scratched from the bout after being charged with physically abusing his wife. Former lightweight champion Ray Mancini
, calling the fight for FOX, expressed the opinion that the decision could conceivably go either way. However Buttafuoco appeared to dominate the fight, giving Laurer a swollen eye, however the judges seemed generous in their tally, with one judge scoring the match even, and the other two scoring it for Buttafuoco by the scores of 29-27 and 29-28.
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
television show, in which celebrities whose careers and/or notoriety had diminished were pitted against each other in exhibition boxing matches. The contestants wore headgear during the fights, which were scheduled for three rounds apiece. Two episodes of the show were aired.
In 2002 TV Guide
TV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
ranked it number 6 on its TV Guide's 50 Worst TV Shows of All Time list.
First episode
The first episode aired on March 13, 20022002 in television
The year 2002 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 2002.For the American TV schedule, see: 2002–03 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:-1940s:...
. The fights featured were Danny Bonaduce
Danny Bonaduce
Dante Daniel "Danny" Bonaduce is an American radio/television personality, comedian, professional wrestler, and former child actor...
vs. Barry Williams
Barry Williams
Barry William Blenkhorn , known professionally as Barry Williams, is an American actor best known for his role as Greg Brady in the ABC television series The Brady Bunch.-Early life and career:...
, Todd Bridges
Todd Bridges
Todd Anthony Bridges is an American actor. He is best known for his childhood role as Willis Jackson on the NBC/ABC sitcom Diff'rent Strokes, and for his recurring role as Monk on the UPN/CW sitcom Everybody Hates Chris...
vs. Vanilla Ice
Vanilla Ice
Robert Matthew Van Winkle , best known by his stage name Vanilla Ice, is an American rapper, extreme athlete and home improvement television personality...
and Paula Jones
Paula Jones
Paula Corbin Jones is a former Arkansas state employee who sued U.S. President Bill Clinton for sexual harassment. The lawsuit was dismissed before trial on the grounds that Jones failed to demonstrate any damages...
vs. Tonya Harding
Tonya Harding
Tonya Maxine Harding is an American figure skating champion. In 1991 she won the U.S. Figure Skating Championships and placed second in the World Championships. She was the second woman, and the first American woman, to complete a triple axel jump in competition...
.
Bonaduce vs. Williams: Bonaduce was introduced by ring announcer Michael Buffer
Michael Buffer
Michael Buffer is an American professional ring announcer for boxing and professional wrestling matches. He is known for his trademarked catchphrase, "Let's get ready to rumble!" He is known for pioneering a distinct announcing style in which he rolls certain letters and adds other inflections to...
as Danny "Boom Boom" Bonaduce. He had a GoldenPalace.com
GoldenPalace.com
GoldenPalace.com is an online casino, hosted at Mohawk Internet Technologies, which is located in the Kahnawake Mohawk Territory near Montreal. They are well-known for their publicity stunts. They are also known for large 'bonuses' which must be waged a comparatively excessive fifty times before...
temporary tattoo on his back. Williams was billed as "Barry Da Butcher." Bonaduce dominated the bout, knocking Williams down five times before Williams' trainer threw in the towel in round two.
Bridges vs. Ice: Bridges was introduced as Todd "Mad Dog" Bridges. Ice was introduced as "Bi-Polar". Meanwhile, Ice had Tank Abbott
Tank Abbott
David Lee Abbott is an American mixed martial arts fighter and former professional wrestler. He has described his fighting style, which he developed brawling in the bars and streets of Huntington Beach, California, as "street fighting"...
working in his corner. Bridges was in control throughout nearly the entire fight, flooring Ice in rounds one and two. All three judges scored the bout 30-27 in his favor.
Jones vs. Harding: Tonya Harding was billed as "TNT," and was also sponsored by GoldenPalace.com. Jones was presented as Paula "The Arkansas Pounder" Jones. Both contestants declined to have their weights disclosed. Jones reportedly took the bout as a late replacement for Amy Fisher
Amy Fisher
Amy Elizabeth Fisher is an American woman who became known as "the Long Island Lolita" by the media in 1992, when, at the age of 17, she shot and severely wounded Mary Jo Buttafuoco, the wife of her lover Joey Buttafuoco...
, and she appeared reluctant to fight. She frequently turned and ran away from Harding whenever she was hit, and at one point attempted to hide behind the referee. In the final round, she at last announced that she did not wish to continue with the bout. Harding was awarded the victory by technical knockout.
Second episode
The second episode aired on May 22, 20022002 in television
The year 2002 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 2002.For the American TV schedule, see: 2002–03 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:-1940s:...
. Darva Conger
Darva Conger
Darva Conger is a former emergency room nurse who was selected as the winner of the reality television show Who Wants to Marry a Multi-Millionaire?, in 2000....
took on Olga Korbut
Olga Korbut
Olga Valentinovna Korbut , also known as the Sparrow from Minsk, is a Belarusian, Soviet-born gymnast who won four gold medals and two silver medals at the Summer Olympics, in which she competed in 1972 and 1976 for the USSR team....
in the opening bout. This fight was followed by Dustin Diamond
Dustin Diamond
Dustin Neil Diamond is an American actor, musician, director, and stand-up comedian best known for his role as Samuel "Screech" Powers in the television shows Saved by the Bell, Good Morning, Miss Bliss, Saved by the Bell: The College Years and Saved by the Bell: The New Class.-Career:Diamond's...
vs. Ron Palillo
Ron Palillo
Ronald Gabriel "Ron" Palillo is an American television and film actor, perhaps best known for his role as high school student Arnold Dingfelder Horshack on the ABC sitcom Welcome Back, Kotter, which aired from 1975 to 1979....
and Manute Bol
Manute Bol
Manute Bol was a Sudanese-born basketball player and activist. At 7 feet, 7 inches , Bol was one of the tallest players ever to appear in the National Basketball Association, along with Gheorghe Mureşan. Unlike Mureşan, however, Bol was naturally tall and did not have a Pituitary disease...
vs. William "Refrigerator" Perry. Joey Buttafuoco
Joey Buttafuoco
Joseph A. "Joey" Buttafuoco is an auto body shop owner from the USA, notable for his affair with Amy Fisher , who subsequently shot Joey's wife, Mary Jo Buttafuoco , in the face.-Incident:...
took on Joanie "Chyna" Laurer in the main event. "Weird Al" Yankovic
"Weird Al" Yankovic
Alfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic is an American singer-songwriter, music producer, accordionist, actor, comedian, writer, satirist, and parodist. Yankovic is known for his humorous songs that make light of popular culture and that often parody specific songs by contemporary musical acts...
was first approached to fight Chyna, but he didn't see it as a positive career move to fight with a woman on national television. Adam Carolla was also approached but also declined to fight. He claimed on loveline
Loveline
Loveline is a syndicated radio call-in program in North America, offering medical and relationship advice to listeners, often with the assistance of guests, typically actors and musicians. Its flagship station is KROQ-FM in Los Angeles....
that the Fox representative said she'd been "talking smack" about him.
Barry Williams also appeared in this episode, singing "The Star-Spangled Banner
The Star-Spangled Banner
"The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States of America. The lyrics come from "Defence of Fort McHenry", a poem written in 1814 by the 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet, Francis Scott Key, after witnessing the bombardment of Fort McHenry by the British Royal Navy ships...
" before the first bout, and conducting interviews with some of the fighters.
Conger vs. Korbut: Korbut, who had been charged with shoplifting $
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
19 worth of groceries just four months prior to this match, was rocked by Conger on several occasions, but was never knocked down, and managed to last until the final bell. Conger won via unanimous decision.
Diamond vs. Palillo: Palillo, who was introduced as "The Pulverizer," attempted to stare Diamond down, and even shoved him after the fighters had been given their pre-fight instructions. Once the bell rang, however, Diamond was in complete control. Palillo was knocked down twice in round two, and the fight was stopped at the time 1:23 in the same round. Palillo finished the bout with a pair of black eyes. Lawrence Leritz
Lawrence Leritz
Lawrence Leritz is an American dancer, singer, actor, producer, fitness expert and choreographer.-Life and career:...
was the boxing coach.
Bol vs. Perry: Bol utilized lateral movement and his 102-inch reach to outbox the nearly-immobile Perry, winning a decision by the scores of 30-27 on all cards. Bol stated in a post-fight interview that he would donate his purse to relief efforts for victims of the Second Sudanese Civil War
Second Sudanese Civil War
The Second Sudanese Civil War started in 1983, although it was largely a continuation of the First Sudanese Civil War of 1955 to 1972. Although it originated in southern Sudan, the civil war spread to the Nuba mountains and Blue Nile by the end of the 1980s....
.
Buttafuoco vs. Laurer: Laurer was a late substitute for John Wayne Bobbitt, who had been scratched from the bout after being charged with physically abusing his wife. Former lightweight champion Ray Mancini
Ray Mancini
Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini is a retired Italian-American boxer. He held the World Boxing Association lightweight championship from 1982 to 1984. Mancini inherited his distinctive nickname from his father, veteran boxer Lenny "Boom Boom" Mancini, who laid the foundation for his son's career...
, calling the fight for FOX, expressed the opinion that the decision could conceivably go either way. However Buttafuoco appeared to dominate the fight, giving Laurer a swollen eye, however the judges seemed generous in their tally, with one judge scoring the match even, and the other two scoring it for Buttafuoco by the scores of 29-27 and 29-28.
See also
- Celebrity DeathmatchCelebrity DeathmatchCelebrity Deathmatch is a claymation television show that depicts celebrities against each other in a wrestling ring, almost always ending in the loser's gruesome death. It was known for its excessive amount of blood used in every match and exaggerated physical injuries...
- Celebrity WrestlingCelebrity WrestlingCelebrity Wrestling is a British television programme, broadcast on ITV in 2005. It involved two teams of celebrities, competing against each other in wrestling style events. The series was presented by Kate Thornton and Rowdy Roddy Piper...
- Hulk Hogan's Celebrity Championship WrestlingHulk Hogan's Celebrity Championship WrestlingHulk Hogan's Celebrity Championship Wrestling was an American reality television program broadcast on CMT that aired for eight episodes in 2008. The first episode aired on October 18, 2008. In Australia, the show premiered in July 2009 on the FOX8 channel. FOX8 is a subscription TV channel...