Bunce hits the road after his TV show hits buffers; SPORT ON TV.

Byline: Alan McKinlay

IF PEOPLE power counts for anything, then the Steve Bunce Boxing Hour will soon be back on our TV screens.

The demise of Setanta put an end to a show which quickly became part of the boxing scene in this country.

And the fact that it has not resurfaced - in any form - on another channel is bad news, both for the armchair viewer and the sport itself. Bunce himself is a polarising bear of man - you either love or hate him - but you can't deny he gets the great and the good of his beloved sport to talk to him and his audience.

And what an audience. Bringbackbunce.net received 1.4million hits in the first two months after broadcaster Setanta crashed. And, yes, those are real testimonies on that site urging his return to the screen, from the likes of Don King, George Foreman and Amir Khan to even MP George Galloway.

So far, all Bunce's attempts to revive the popular show have failed, so he's now taking it on the road, playing at small venues all over the country, starting next Tuesday in Salford. And Bunce insisted: "It's not going to be one of those pounds 100 for dinner and see the guest for 15 minutes.

"It's a show with good guests, plenty of noise, and some chaos too."

Just call it a rehearsal for the new TV show ...

Today's sport listings: Page 59

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SHOW MUST GO ON Steve Bunce