This Valentine’s Day, I’m feeling a little cheeky. Picture this: a heap of tiny candy hearts scrawled with naughty words, tossed in with a bundle of heart-shaped Peeps, topped off with an "IOU One Pearl Necklace" coupon, all hurled at the face of boxing ignorance and deceit. Let’s dive into what you’ve sent my way this week.
The End of Top Rank on ESPN
Hey Paul,
I was pretty bummed to learn ESPN is parting ways with Top Rank. Back when the deal kicked off, I was thrilled at the prospect of boxing going mainstream. But it just didn’t pan out, did it? To me, it always felt like boxing was just an afterthought for ESPN. They never seemed to give it the attention it deserved, often relegating it to the ESPN app or odd time slots.
I remember your thoughts on their approach to streaming. You called it a “streaming pile of crap” and predicted it would spell doom for boxing’s presence on the network. You hit the nail on the head!
What do you think derailed this partnership? Is there a chance boxing will make a return to ESPN? And what’s next for Top Rank?
– Josh Alvarado
Hey Josh,
Top Rank’s stint with ESPN was destined to fail because they couldn’t produce a pay-per-view powerhouse that ESPN could bank on. In boxing, serious money is in pay-per-view, and Top Rank couldn’t transition Terence Crawford or Vasiliy Lomachenko into PPV stars, nor could they draw Tyson Fury back to the U.S. So, to ESPN, they became little more than costly filler for ESPN+.
Then, the Saudis swooped in. By poaching talent and playing with contractual players, they drove the final nails into Top Rank’s coffin. Once they jumped into the Riyadh Season “partnership,” their assets got entangled, and as their ESPN deal wound down, Top Rank had little left. With Crawford gone, Shakur Stevenson signing with a Saudi-preferred broadcasting partner, Teofimo Lopez getting a Saudi gig, and heavyweight prospect Jared Anderson reluctantly pushed into a losing fight setup, Top Rank’s hands were tied by their business inclinations.
All they’ve got now is Keyshawn Davis hanging on. Given this diminished value, they’re likely looking at a new TV deal aligned with DAZN, who have Saudi ties. Who else would take them?
Make no mistake, this wasn’t by accident. It’s a calculated move toward monopoly by the Saudis, who are playing chess while boxing’s too busy humming with a bishop stuck in both nostrils.
ESPN might return to boxing, but only if the sport can promise them a handful of bankable stars, which doesn’t seem likely right now or in the near future.
Ring Magazine: Bible of BS
Hey Magno,
Your Monday column, Notes from the Boxing Underground, was fantastic. You don’t hold back, and it’s refreshing in an era where boxing commentary often falls flat. Keep doing what you do. By the way, your takes were spot-on.
Spreading false information is disgraceful for a media giant. Turki and his Ring Magazine crew have shown they’re happy to lead readers down a false trail just for a laugh at misleading the audience. This issue deserves way more attention.
– Mike from Reno
Hey Mike,
I’m with you on that, but who’s going to speak up? Most of the media landscape is filled with those already benefiting from Turki’s money or aspiring to. Others remain silent, too scared to rock the boat against Turki and the Saudis as they build their monopoly. Who else is left to challenge this, but me?
I’ve never expected much from the boxing media beyond compliance, greed, and lack of backbone. So, their quick, complete surrender doesn’t surprise me. Nor does it shock me that some fans cheer on a movement that could spell the sport’s downfall in the US and UK.
But there’s a growing awareness among fans, a realization that the Saudis have gutted the sport and taken it away. They’re also recognizing which media players have silently supported this takeover.
Turki using Ring Magazine to spread falsehoods is yet another hit to the Ring’s already shaky credibility. As I wrote in Monday’s column: “Turki actually thinks himself clever for tainting his media acquisition…doing it purely to slyly manipulate ‘the sheep,’” as he called fans and critics on Twitter.
People should be more outraged about this than they seem to be.
By the way, I appreciate the praise.
Got a question or some spirited commentary for Magno’s Bulging Mail Sack? The top submissions are featured in the weekly mailbag segment here at FightHype. Send your thoughts to [email protected].
