Moorer On Menu As Networks Divvy Up Boxing’s Table Scraps

First came Mike Tyson vs. Buster Mathis Jr. on Fox last December.

Then Larry Holmes against Anthony Willis on CBS last Sunday.

Now comes the Axel Schulz-Michael Moorer fight Saturday on ABC at 1:30 p.m., PT.

A boxing renaissance on network TV? Keep your Joe Boxers on. It’s a blip.

The first was a Don King maneuver to make nice to fans who had paid too much for the 89-second Tyson-Peter McNeeley fight on pay-per-view. The second was a low-rated Father’s Day trifle that wasn’t in big demand elsewhere.

Schulz-Moorer is doable on ABC because German TV and local promoters for the fight in a Dortmund, Germany, soccer stadium, will provide enough cash to satisfy the contenders for the vacant International Boxing Federation heavyweight crown.

“There’s such huge money in Germany that they didn’t need American money,” said Alex Wallau, who will analyze the fight beside Dan Dierdorf. “There’ll be a huge gate with lots of money. The fighters won’t get shortchanged.”

ABC will pay an estimated $275,000 (cheap) for the rights. Fox paid up to $5 million for the prime-time Tyson-Mathis fight, and assorted other bouts that it broadcast earlier this year.

“This can be a very interesting fight,” Wallau said. “Schulz was robbed horribly against George Foreman. He’s not a great fighter, but he will test you as he did Foreman.”

ABC’s schedule Saturday includes a replay of Tyson’s recent defeat of Oliver McCall for the WBC title and a feature on women in boxing.