Hbo Hopes It Has Landed Prince Of A Deal

If Prince Naseem Hamed’s fists pack as much punch as his mouth, HBO executives will be ecstatic with their six fight deal with the British featherweight.

Hamed, the undefeated WBO champion known as much for his flashy entrances and bold statements as for his skills in the ring, makes his U.S. television debut at Madison Square Garden tonight (HBO, 6 p.m. PST) against Kevin Kelley.

With boxing plagued by disqualifications, questionable judging and the lack of compelling personalities, HBO is hoping the Prince can attract new fans.

“Any guy that can publicize the sport of boxing without starting a riot or biting someone’s ear off is good for the sport,” said Lou DiBella, HBO’s senior vice president for programming. “He has a great understanding that if you want to attract more than the hard-core boxing fans, you need to be a bit of a showman.”

Fighting in Britain, Hamed already has made $12 million in purses and endorsements this year. But his ultimate success will depend on how he does in the ring. The first big test comes against Kelley (47-1-2).

If Hamed loses, his deal with HBO, which pays him $2 million per fight, could be in jeopardy. If he wins, he could be the next big name in boxing. HBO is hoping he will be a pay-per-view attraction by the end of 1998.

Hamed may be the shot in the arm boxing needs, with the heavyweight division in disarray. Mike Tyson is suspended, Riddick Bowe and George Foreman are retired and champions Evander Holyfield and Lennox Lewis are unable to strike a deal to unify the title. The door is open for fighters in the lower-weight classes, such as Hamed and Oscar De La Hoya, to capture the public.

Heisman hype pays off for Woodson

Charles Woodson has the television networks to partially thank for his Heisman Trophy.

Woodson, who came out of nowhere to overtake Peyton Manning in the final month of the season, took advantage of big television audiences.

Woodson saved his biggest performances for those games, including his touchdown catch against Penn State (3.94 million homes), his catch, punt-return TD and endzone interception against Ohio State (7.64 million homes) and his two interceptions against Michigan State (2.92 million homes).

Manning did not fare as well before national audiences. He threw a key interception that was returned for a touchdown in Tennessee’s loss against Florida (6.66 million homes) and had his second-worst passing day of the season against Vanderbilt (4.02 million homes).

By the time Manning threw for 373 yards and four TDs against Auburn in the SEC Championship (8.23 million homes), Woodson had taken a commanding lead in the balloting.

For the season, Manning’s 12 games were watched by 29.38 million fans, while Woodson’s 11 games were watched in 33.47 homes. However, more than 40 percent of Manning’s audience came after Woodson’s performance against Ohio State.

Around the dial

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