Boxingtalk salutes Showtime executive producer David Dinkins Jr., a man who has worked off-camera for decades, and helped bring some of boxing's best moments into our living rooms. Showtime has authored the following tribute to Dinkins, who has been nominated for election to the International BoxingHall of Fame:
It is with pride and enthusiasm that [Showtime] writes this letter of suggestion to encourage you to vote for our colleague and friend, executive producer David Dinkins Jr., for election into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in the observer category in recognition of his significant and ongoing contributions to the sport of boxing.
Dinkins has established himself as the sport’s No. 1 boxing producer and architect of boxing broadcasts over the past five decades, setting a standard of excellence for broadcast, premium cable, live online streaming and pay-per-view boxing coverage that is unequaled.
Since 1987, when Dinkins was appointed executive producer of Showtime Sports, he has produced more than 600 world championship fights and over 1,000 professional prizefights, including six Fight of the Year matchups, the two most-watched pay-per-view events in television history, and the three most lucrative.
When a piece of Evander Holyfield’s ear hit the canvas in June 1987, it was Dinkins whispering into Jim Gray’s earpiece as he interviewed Tyson in the locker-room hallway at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Gray won an Emmy Award for that performance. In April 2015 when Showtime and HBO simultaneously carried the mega-fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao on a joint pay-per-view, it was Dinkins who served as the lead executive producer. When Diego Corrales dramatically stopped Jose Luis Castillo in the 10th round of their brutal masterpiece in May 2005, it was Dinkins who choreographed the action behind the scenes. And when Sugar Ray Leonard and Marvin Hagler engaged in their super fight in April 1987, Dinkins was the one calling the shots for the Top Rank PPV crew.
But for the past four years, Dinkins, a four-time Emmy Award winner, has been unable to garner enough votes to climb off the ballot and into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
While disappointing, it’s not entirely surprising. Most of us see his broadcasts do not consider the man behind the scenes. Dinkins works in a cramped production truck far from the ring, headset on, in a dimly lit room with dozens of screens aglow as he guides the 70-person crew including talent, replay, audio, stage mangers, and cameras. His rat-a-tat instructions produce what millions of viewers see across their screens in the U.S. on Showtime and Internationally on feeds provided around the world from the main broadcaster.
It’s not glamorous work, but Dinkins has played an integral role in the rise of superstars like Mike Tyson, Julio Cesar Chavez, Evander Holyfield and Floyd Mayweather Jr. and in the growth of Hall of Fame broadcasters he’s mentored like Al Bernstein, Jim Gray, Barry Tompkins, Jim Lampley (yes, Lampley!), Steve Farhood and many more.
Now it is time to give Dinkins, one of boxing history’s most prolific producers and one of the very few Black executive producers in all of sports television, his due and to vote him into the International Boxing Hall of Fame like the many boxers and broadcasters he has mentored and worked with over the decades.
TESTIMONIALS
Mike Tyson: “David Dinkins produced many of my fights. And as the years have gone by, I’ve watched them many times. The way he told my story as it was happening was excellent then and even better now. He is more than worthy of being in the Hall of Fame.”
Al Bernstein: “For over 40 years David Dinkins Jr. has presented boxing to the American and worldwide television audiences, and no one has ever done it better. He has crafted live broadcasts that have captured the most important and exciting moments the sport has had in those decades. He has produced broadcasts on CBS and Showtime and on Pay Per view that chronicled decades of boxing history and did so in an authentic and exciting manner. I have shared many of those broadcasts with him and I can tell you that his reverence for the sport and for the boxers has always guided what he’s done. That as much as anything makes him the perfect candidate for induction into The International Boxing Hall of Fame. The Hall has honored many commentators in front of the TV camera but none behind it—visionaries that present boxing to millions of fans. I think that’s overdue, and I believe David is the perfect person to start with. As a Producer and Executive Producer, he has written the book on how boxing should be presented on television. A place in Boxing's hall of Fame is warranted and appropriate.”
Jim Gray: “David Dinkins has expertly produced literally thousands of matches including some of the greatest fights ever, and he has provided fans around the world the ability to see and hear the biggest and best moments that have become the history and legend of boxing. For five decades his presentation has set a standard of excellence. The indelible moments that David provided have significantly enhanced the public’s viewing experience and he has brought honor to the sport. I’m hopeful that the voters will now honor David for all of his contributions.”
DAVID DINKINS Jr. BOXING FACTS AND FIGURES
…More than 600 championship fights and over 1,000 professional prizefights since the early 1980s.
…the two biggest PPV events in television history and the three most lucrative.
…26 world championship unification fights.
…Six Fight of the Year bouts:
- Leonard vs. Hagler (1987)
- Holyfield vs. Tyson I (1996)
- Corrales vs. Castillo I (2005)
- Vazquez vs. Marquez II (2007)
- Vazquez vs. Marquez III (2008)
- Joshua vs. Klitschko (2017)
At CBS from 1981 through 1986, Dinkins established the network television careers of Alexis Arguello, Ray Mancini and Hector Camacho.
Dinkins has produced innumerable legendary fights including:
- Hagler vs. Leonard (1987) (Top Rank PPV)
- Leonard vs. Hearns II (1989) (Top Rank PPV)
- Barkley vs. Duran (1989) (Top Rank PPV)
- Douglas vs. Holyfield (1990)
- Whitaker vs. Chavez (1993)
- Chavez vs. Haugen (1993)
- Tyson vs. Matthis Jr. (FOX)
- Tyson vs. Holyfield I (1996)
- Tyson vs. Holyfield II – The legendary “Bite Fight” (1997)
- Lewis vs. Tyson (2002)
- Castillo vs. Corrales (2005)
- The Super Six World Boxing Classic (2009-2011)
- Mayweather vs. Maidana I and II (2014)
- Joshua vs. Klitschko (2017)
- Tank Davis’ rise to stardom (2018--)
- Joshua vs. Parker (2018)
- Lara vs. Hurd (2018)
- Deontay Wilder’s rise to stardom including Wilder vs. Fury I (2018)
- Charlo vs. Castano I & II (2021, 2022)
World Championship unification bouts Dinkins has produced (30):
1. Holyfield vs. Deleon for the undisputed cruiserweight championship (1988)
2. Holyfield vs. Douglas for the undisputed heavyweight championship (1990)
3. Benn vs. Eubank II for the WBO/WBC super middleweight championship (1993)
4. Seldon vs. Tyson for the WBA/WBC heavyweight championship (1996)
5. Hamed vs. Johnson for the WBO/IBF featherweight championship (1997)
6. Holyfield vs. Moorer for the WBA/IBF heavyweight championship (1997)
7. Tszyu vs. Judah II for IBF/WBA/WBC junior welterweight championship (2001)
8. Casamayor vs. Freitas for WBO/WBA super featherweight championship (2002)
9. Tszyu vs. Leija for the undisputed 140-lb championship (2003)
10. Spinks vs. Judah II for the IBF/WBA/WBC welterweight championship (2005)
11. Corrales vs. Castillo I for the WBC/WBO lightweight championship (2005)
12. Braithwaite vs. Mormeck for the WBC/WBA cruiserweight championship (2005)
13. Mormeck vs. Bell for the undisputed cruiserweight championship (2006)
14. Maccarinelli vs. Haye for WBO/WBC/WBA cruiserweight championship (2008)
15. Mijares vs. Darchinyan for the IBF/WVC/WBA Super Flyweight Title (2008)
16. Bradley vs. Holt for the WBC/WBO junior welterweight championship (2009)
17. Ward vs. Froch for the WBA/WBC Super Middleweight championship (2011)
18. Alvarez vs. Trout for the WBA/WBC super welterweight championship (2013)
19. Mayweather vs. Maidana II for the WBA/WBC welterweight championship (2014)
20. Hopkins vs. Shumenov for the WBA/IBF light heavyweight championship (2014)
21. Mayweather vs. Pacquiao for WBC/BA/BO welterweight championship (2015)
22. Frampton vs. Quigg for the WBA/IBF Super bantamweight championship (2016)
23. Thurman vs. Garcia for the WBA/WBC welterweight championship (2017)
24. Joshua vs. Parker for the IBF/WBA/WBO heavyweight championship (2018)
25. Lara vs. Hurd for the IBF/WBA super middleweight championship (2018)
26. Mikey Garcia vs. Robert Easter Jr. for IBF/WBC lightweight championship (2018)
27. Fulton vs. Figueroa for Super Bantamweight Unification (2021)
28. Canelo vs. Plant for Super Middleweight Unification (2021)
29. Charlo vs. Castano I for Super Welterweight Unification (2021)
30. Charlo vs. Castano II for Super Welterweight Unification (2022)
