NBC Sports Fight Night: Why Boxing Showcase Was Worth Watching

Bravo, NBC Sports Fight Night.

The first installment of the new 24-hour sports network's latest boxing showcase was more of a success than it was a failure on Saturday night.

Despite a last-minute scratch to the main event, two replacements, Bryant Jennings and Maurice Byarm, stepped into the ring without hesitation to give fans in attendance and watching at home a legitimate show.

Jennings would top Byarm via unanimous decision to run his record to 12-0 overall.

First off, kudos to the Fight Night crew for matching up two somewhat battle-tested, undefeated boxers for the main event after the original heavyweight matchup fell through.

On Jan. 13, heavyweight Eddie Chambers withdrew from the bout because of fractured ribs suffered in training. He was scheduled to fight fellow heavyweight Sergei Liakhovich.

Although casual fans of boxing likely had no idea who Jennings and Byarm were going into last night's fight and likely could care less going forward, the two did well to entertain on the showcase's biggest stage, surviving all 10 rounds. 

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"I really didn't let any of the TV or the other stuff around bother me, I went 10 rounds with no problem. To tell the truth, I thought I thought the 10th was the ninth round. After tonight, I'm a 10-round fighter and I think I helped myself. A lot of people saw this, it was great exposure, and I move forward. I'll tell you this, we both took beatings." - heavyweight Bryant Jennings via Associated Press

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The previous fight featured knockout-capable junior middleweights Gabriel Rosado and Jesus Soto-Karass. Rosado won via fifth-round TKO. So in a way, Saturday night's boxing showcase had a little bit of everything for boxing fans. 

Fans were treated to not only free boxing, but a knockout and a main event that went the distance and featured quite a bit of entertaining striking from Jennings especially.

Not bad for a first attempt.