(Top Rank)
NEW YORK – It only makes sense that Top Rank would ring in its new era at Madison Square Garden.
The Las Vegas-based promotion, which has brought top boxers like Muhammad Ali, Roberto Duran and Manny Pacquiao to the world stage, made its deal with DAZN official on Wednesday morning at a press conference at the arena where the company had promoted many of its biggest events throughout the decade. It’s the first broadcast deal for Top Rank since its relationship with ESPN ended last July after seven years.
Top Rank was represented on stage by company president Todd duBoef, plus four of its leading stars, including WBC featherweight titleholder Bruce Carrington, WBO lightweight titlist Abdullah Mason, former belt holder Keyshawn Davis and junior welterweight prospect Emiliano Vargas. Top Rank founder Bob Arum, the 94-year-old Brooklyn native who promoted his first fight 60 years ago with Ali vs. George Chuvalo, was not in attendance as he recovered from a knee injury, though event emcee Chris Mannix said he should be back ringside for fights by next month. DAZN was represented by Pete Oliver, its CEO of overseas markets.
Although Top Rank’s track record and deep roster are well-documented, the public-facing terms of this deal remain somewhat blurry, with duBoef only revealing that it is a “multi-year, multi-event commitment.” In a recorded statement, Arum revealed that not only its fighters and events would be coming to DAZN but also its fight library.
“I really believe this is just step one,” duBoef said. “We are really in a position where we can think of endless opportunities for all these fighters up on stage and endless opportunities for the fans around the world getting a top-quality event every Saturday night.”
Added Oliver: “We really wanted to bring Top Rank’s stable expertise into the mix of DAZN boxing so we can make the best fights. We also really wanted to strengthen our position here in the USA, as we had a great year last year. We had the FIFA Club World Cup, but we also saw our boxing business grow rapidly. We know Top Rank has an amazing history here, so we really wanted them to join the party.”
Carl Moretti, Top Rank’s vice president of Operations, said the company’s inaugural show is currently contingent on what happens with DAZN and the legally fraught Jaron Ennis-Vergil Ortiz fight, a longtime priority of the streaming platform that has been delayed due…
2026-03-19 02:42:15
