ESPN Moves Klitschko Fight To ESPN Classic

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 ESPN's first ever live heavyweight champion boxing telecast will now become ESPN Classic's first.

The network said it would move the March 21 Vitali Klitschko-Juan Carlos Gomez WBC heavyweight title fight to ESPN Classic due to a change in the fight's start time to 6 p.m. (ET) from 5 p.m. The bout, which was billed as ESPN's first live heavyweight championship bout in its decades long coverage of the sweet science, will also air live the network's broadband channel ESPN360.com.

An ESPN spokesman said the time shift would interfere with contracted ESPN programming on Saturday night, thus prompting the move. ESPN2 will air a tape-delayed version of the fight at 7 p.m. 

R. Thomas Umstead
R. Thomas Umstead

R. Thomas Umstead serves as senior content producer, programming for Multichannel News, Broadcasting + Cable and Next TV. During his more than 30-year career as a print and online journalist, Umstead has written articles on a variety of subjects ranging from TV technology, marketing and sports production to content distribution and development. He has provided expert commentary on television issues and trends for such TV, print, radio and streaming outlets as Fox News, CNBC, the Today show, USA Today, The New York Times and National Public Radio. Umstead has also filmed, produced and edited more than 100 original video interviews, profiles and news reports featuring key cable television executives as well as entertainers and celebrity personalities.