The second Ingemar Johansson vs. Floyd Patterson fight from the Polo Grounds is broadcast by WABC radio in New York City. Patterson regains the heavyweight championship from Johansson with a 5th round knockout. Pre-fight commentary by Howard Cosell,  and an interview with former heavyweight champion Rocky Marciano. An interview with Patterson following the fight. Les Keiter and Howard Cosell report the action.                                                              

Rematch with pre and post-fight interviews. Les Keiter calls the boxing match and Howard Cosell does the color commentary. Preceding the fight, Eddie Fisher sings the National Anthem.  Rocky Marciano also comments. There is an interview with Floyd Patterson's mother. Also, we hear Gabe Pressman interview both Ingemar Johansson and Floyd Patterson the day after the fight at a Press conference.                          

Howard Cosell and Les Keiter are on hand to bring the third boxing match between Ingemar Johansson and Floyd Patterson from Miami Beach, Florida. Commentary from Rocky Marciano, Joe Louis, and Referee Arthur Mercante. At ringside, announcer Jack McCarthy is heard. Mickey Allen sings the National Anthem. Memorable first round with Patterson being knocked down twice and Johansson sent to the canvas once. Post-fight interviews with champ Floyd Patterson, manager Cus D'Amato, referee Billy Regan and Joe Louis. Hugh O'Brien is interviewed at ringside by Howard Cosell.                         

October 2, 1961 - August 30, 1963

Harry Reasoner and Mary Fickett are hosts for this live half-hour weekday series which deals with a variety of subjects, including art, science, history, fashion, travel, medicine, education, marriage, and customs. Included is a daily news report by Reasoner. Many celebrities also drop by and discuss their past, present and future career with Fickett and Reasoner. 

Guests with Harry Reasoner who discuss boxing are Rocky Marciano, Emile Griffith, and Ezzard Charles.                          

Howard Cosell and Rocky Marciano broadcast live radio network boxing coverage. Pre-fight interviews with Sonny Liston, Barney Ross, Joe Louis, James Braddock, Gene Fullmer and Floyd Patterson. Predictions are heard on the outcome of the fight from many sports columnists at ring side in Comiskey Park in Chicago. Jack Drees calls the fight round by round. Mickey Allen sings the National Anthem prior to the 2 minutes, 6 seconds first round knockout of Patterson by the new Heavyweight Champion, Sonny Liston. Post-fight comments from all, including Floyd Patterson's mother. There is a TRIG Deodorant commercial by Chris Schenkel and from Liston's dressing room, Sonny comments regarding a return match.             

WABC RADIO lead in by Bruce Morrow prior to coverage of 
a first round KO of Floyd Patterson by Sonny Liston broadcast live from the convention center in Las Vegas over WABC Radio in New York. Heard is a 15 minute Special Preview boxing pre-fight show with Howard Cosell who interviews Heavyweight Champion Sonny Liston and Challenger, Floyd Patterson. They give their views on how the fight will turn out.  Predictions of who will win this rematch World Heavyweight Championship fight by sports columnists at ringside, Arthur Daley, Shirley Povich, Al Abrams, Bill Hines, Dick Peebles, Nat Fleischer, Jack Hand, George Whiting, Angelo Dundee, and Jim Bishop, the only one who predicts a Patterson victory. Howard Cosell is at ringside along with Les Keiter who does the blow-by-blow reporting with commentary from Rocky Marciano. Jack McCarthy announces the fighters. Mickey Allen sings the National Anthem. Number 2 contender Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali) mocks Sonny Liston at ringside and in the ring. The three knockdown first round is broadcast. Extensive interviews with Joe Louis, and Rocky Marciano. Additional comments from Billy Conn and Lou Nova. Howard Cosell interviews Patterson, Cus D'amato and Liston after the fight, who discusses a possible upcoming fight with Cassius Clay in September. Les Keiter summarizes the fight. Replay of the first round. Keiter interviews Joe Louis who feels that Clay will give Liston a better fight, but cannot beat him. From the Gold Room, Sonny Liston meets the Press and answers questions.
Additional commentary by Howard Cosell and Rocky Marciano who states that Patterson should retire from the ring. Les Keiter interviews former Heavyweight Lou Nova. Sign off.                                                                                          

The Miami Beach Convention Center is the site for the first Cassius Clay vs. Sonny Liston Heavyweight Championship fight. 
Les Keiter gives the blow-by-blow account with Howard Cosell doing color commentary. Also on hand are Rocky Marciano, Jim Brown, and Sugar Ray Robinson. Cassius Clay becomes the new heavyweight champion of the world when Liston refuses to come out for round 7.  

A sports presentation of the ABC radio network.                                      

Live radio network coverage of Cassius Clay's 6th round defeat of Champion Sonny Liston is broadcast. There are pre-fight interviews and color commentary by Howard Cosell. The outcome predictions of the fight are heard from a dozen sports columnists, all but one, predicting a Liston slaughter. They include Walter Red Smith, Mel Durslag, Charles McCabe, Lyle Smith, Frank Gibbons, Cy Burick, Hal Abrams, Shirley Povich, Murray Kempton, Jack Cutty, Jack Hand, Arthur Daly and John Carmichael. The legend of Liston's invincibility is also expressed by former champ Joe Louis to Howard Cosell. Also, comments from heavyweight Liston opponent Marty Marshall, trainer Cus D'Amato and from Sonny Liston and Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali), who states to Cosell that he will KO Liston in round eight. We hear from blow-by-blow commentator Les Keiter at ringside, along with Cosell, former heavyweight Champion Rocky Marciano and Jim Brown of the Cleveland Browns. After the upset Clay victory, Cosell interviews Clay and Liston in the ring. Keiter interviews Sugar Ray Robinson and Joe Louis. Howard Cosell recaps the fight; he interviews Dick Young of the Daily News and Clay's trainer Angelo Dundee. Cassius Clay is heard live at the News Press Conference in its entirety. There is a wrap-up  with Les Keiter and comments from UPI sports editor Leo Peterson. In addition, on the following day, CBS Sports With Frank Gifford is heard. Frank Gifford recounts the fight. There is a brief interview with fight physician Alexander Robbins, who stopped the fight giving Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali), his first championship.                                                                                           

October 1, 1962-May 22, 1992. 

Johnny Carson, host of NBC's network late-night "Tonight Show" reigned for 30 unprecedented years...five times the combined tenure of Steve Allen, and Jack Paar. Carson was impervious to competition, including efforts to dethrone him by Les Crane, Joey Bishop, Merv Griffin, Dick Cavett, Jack Paar, Pat Sajak, Joan Rivers, and Arsenio Hall. Sadly, very few complete "Tonight Show" broadcasts survive during Johnny Carson's first ten years of broadcasting. Around 1965, through the early 1970's, oldest tapes were first erased systematically by orders from myopic NBC executives, to be recycled for purposes of saving money. Ironically, in many cases, these older master tapes were too brittle, and portended probable drop-outs for re-use after being erased. Subsequently blank after being erased, these older questionable master 2" Quad tapes were either sparingly used or never used again for recording new programming and eventually were discarded. Saving thousands of dollars at the time (wiping master tapes for potential re-use) resulted in losing millions of dollars by NBC in today's marketplace, and more importantly wiping thousands of historic TONIGHT SHOW broadcasts, which contain precious personal anecdotes from political, show business, and sports icons of the past.

Host: Johnny Carson. Guests include former boxing undefeated heavyweight champion  Rocky Marciano who discusses with Johnny the heavyweight championship boxing match last night between Sonny Liston and Muhammad Ali.

In Carson's opening monologue he talks sardonically  about last night's fight. 

JC: "We have a championship show for you tonight, and you know what a farce the championship was. I suppose you read abut it in the paper which was listed as the chuckle of the day. Some fight! Better name would have been 'swan dive a-go-go.'
Only in America can a man win $600,000 in sixty seconds and be called a loser. I would get in there for $600,000 with a live alligator. Robert Goulet who sang The Star Spangled Banner was on longer. NBC is in kind of a dilemma now. They don't know whether to run the tape of the fight on Wide World of Sports or on Let's Make a Deal. Technically people are calling it 'The Big Joke.' in the fighting game, but it's really not  a joke, because nobody saw the punch line.
But, Cassius Clay still has his championship belt. Now, if he just puts it over his mouth. 

We have Rocky Marciano on the show tonight who was a former heavyweight champion. I have a feeling Rocky would have got up if he was ever knocked down. I'm not sure if Rocky was ever knocked down.  People are talking about this as something suspicious. I don't think it was a dive. I just couldn't understand why anybody would sell advertising space on Sonny Liston's shoe soles. Than bothered me." 

NOTE:
A rare almost complete "LOST" Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson" broadcast with commercials. Long interview with former undefeated heavyweight boxing champion, Rocky Marciano,  who states that Muhammad Ali may be the greatest heavyweight boxer of all time.  

                                                                                                

1968-Syndicated

Donald OConnor hosted this brief, syndicated talk show.

Guest: Rocky Marciano.