It ended in derision for Harrison – cruelly nicknamed “Fraudley” – with BBC television then choosing to shy away from the sport, despite an association with amateur and professional boxing going back to the 1930s.
The BBC can ill afford to make the same mistakes again. The partnership between the broadcaster and fight promotion company Boxxer brings several aspiring stars to the mainstream.
Alex Kay-Jelski, director of BBC Sport, said: “Bringing professional boxing back to primetime BBC television is an exciting moment for us and boxing fans. Boxing is a sport we know deeply resonates with younger audiences and this deal enables us to showcase the next generation of British fighters.”
This weekend’s first event, delayed from October 25 after an injury to Tshikeva, will be shown on BBC iPlayer from 6pm and on BBC 2 between 8pm and 10pm.
Ben Shalom, the promoter at Boxxer, told Telegraph Sport that it is “a pressure and privilege to bring big-time boxing back to the BBC”. Boxxer previously had a fight deal with Sky Sports which ended in June 2025. It is believed the Sky investment for its events with Boxxer was close to £25m for an exclusive four-year period. There has been no figure placed on the BBC’s return to boxing, but it is unlikely to be anywhere near that figure.
Shalom said: “Yes, it has been 20 years and boxing has been seen as the ugly sister sometimes but the BBC wanted to attract a younger audience. I have been talking to them for a long time – selling radio rights to big fights – and I’ve always said how amazing it would be to get them involved and they have become increasingly interested seeing the numbers that boxing generates.
“The men and women we have on our roster are particularly well suited for a national audience. The goal now is to utilise the entire BBC network as a platform to grow boxing in a way that has not been done in a long time.”
Rising light-welterweight talent Adam Azim, who will headline the second BBC show on January 31 2026, made no secret in telling me that Strictly Come Dancing and Traitors are terrestrial TV shows he would be delighted to appear on.
“I have taken up Salsa dancing anyway. They are shows I’d love to be invited on,” said Azim, who is trained by Shane McGuigan, son of the former featherweight world champion, Barry. Francesca Hennessy, a rising young female boxer on the inaugural card, also told me that Strictly is “on my bucket list” and sees the investment from the BBC as a huge opportunity.
