Exhibiting Ali's Super Fights: The Contested Politics and Brief History of Closed-Circuit Boxing Broadcasts

Abstract

abstract:This article considers the cultural politics of closed-circuit prizefighting broadcasts—a seldom examined part of media history—by examining Muhammad Ali and The Super Fight (1970), a film based on a computerized simulation of a match between Ali and retired former heavyweight champion Rocky Marciano. It demonstrates how public, closed-circuit telecast exhibitions informed Ali's divisive identity, and, in turn, how Ali impacted the culture, industry, and metamorphosis of closed-circuit sports TV.