Top Rank are just prospect builders, nothing else

[Mammoth]

Hmmm , that wouldn’t surprise me and would make sense
The shows have gotten worse but some have been pretty good especially the Japanese cards

I don't know how much they're really involved in Japan either. Bob is Inoue's co-promoter but Monster's main promoter is Ohashi. Seems more like Top Rank has US distribution rights to those mainly and get some of their guys on those cards from time to time.

[Mammoth]

I don't see Adames vs Gausha, for example, being on PPV if they were TR fighters.

Does PBC even have anything non PPV currently?

Adames vs Gausha seems totally like a PPV undercard quality fight anywhere aside from Saudi. Haney-Loma had Valdez vs Lopez II on it. Same pointless stuff.

[MulaKO]

I don't know how much they're really involved in Japan either. Bob is Inoue's co-promoter but Monster's main promoter is Ohashi. Seems more like Top Rank has US distribution rights to those mainly and get some of their guys on those cards from time to time.

Well the fact they show those cards is already a plus

[ilovemesomeboxing]

That I agree
Bobfather gonna pass with his money lol

The sooner he dies, the better.

Needs to hurry up.

[MulaKO]

The sooner he dies, the better.

Needs to hurry up.

Maybe Top Rank dies with him
That wouldn’t be good for anyone imo

[paul77]

ESPN has been in financial difficulty for a few years now - I'm sure Top Ranks budget is very limited. Seven figures for the whole year... HBO used to spend that in a month.

Puerto Rico is no longer producing top talent, but the demand from the market on the east coast is there, so Top Rank takes very mediocre guys and hypes as "the next Trinidad/Coto" only for them to look like **** once they step up. It's cynical, but they're just exploiting a demand.

As for the showcase fights - yeah, most of them are showcases. But that's been the case with every promoter for as long as I can remember. Top Rank has also delivered a lot of good fights since the ESPN deal. Top Rank also tried to do shows of competitive matchups of no-name guys during COVID, and those did really poorly.

The fact of the matter is that these exclusive content deals with the network are really bad for the sport, but they're here to stay as long as the money is there for them to happen - HBO tried to keep the model of buying individual fights from each promoter and what happened? They went out of business because all the major promoters signed exclusive deals, and they were left doing cards with Kathy Duva and Lou Dibella's eastern-europeans that no one was watching.

[Pac=Duran]

Their cheap cards really suck lately. The only interesting thing is watching for guys who will potentially be good in the future.

Basically Shobox.

Looks like that. Fighting for the Saudis is now the big leagues. Top Rank for prospects, and PBC if you want don't really want to fight the best.

Always was a witness protection racket tbh

[M312]

One year left on ESPNs contract with Top Rank.

Definitely looks like they are going to pull the plug...

[RJJ-94-02=GOAT]

I just think US boxing is on its knees too atm. If you look at their better cards, they’re happening in Saudi, Japan, Australia etc. HBO and Showtime leaving has really hurt the US scene. ESPN don’t have the budget.

[MulaKO]

I just think US boxing is on its knees too atm. If you look at their better cards, they’re happening in Saudi, Japan, Australia etc. HBO and Showtime leaving has really hurt the US scene. ESPN don’t have the budget.

They have the resources but just not for boxing
They made that quite clear when they canned Friday night Fights