Top Rank

Top Rank, Inc. is an American boxing promotional company founded by Jabir Herbert Muhammad and Bob Arum, which was incorporated in 1973, and is based in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Since its founding, Top Rank has promoted many world class fighters, including Muhammad Ali, Alexis Argüello, Terence Crawford, Oscar De La Hoya, Roberto Durán, Joe Frazier, George Foreman, Marvin Hagler, Juan Manuel Márquez, Manny Pacquiao, Sugar Ray Leonard, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Érik Morales, Thomas Hearns, Paulie Ayala, Iran Barkley, Michael Carbajal, Larry Holmes, Ray Mancini, Carlos Monzón, Terry Norris, Gabriel Ruelas, Rafael Ruelas, James Toney, Kubrat Pulev, Jared Anderson, Nico Ali Walsh, Guido Vianello and Tyson Fury.

The company has promoted such superfights as Hagler vs Leonard, Chávez vs De La Hoya, Holyfield vs Foreman, Foreman vs Moorer, Leonard vs Hearns, Hagler vs Hearns, Ali vs Frazier II and both Ali vs Spinks fights. The company also promoted George Foreman's comeback to regain the world championship, culminating in the knockout of then IBF/WBA champion

History

Main Bout

The precursor to Top Rank was Main Bout, a company founded by Muhammad Ali in 1966 to promote his fights. Along with Muhammad Ali, other early equity owners of the company included Jabir Herbert Muhammad, Bob Arum, and John Ali (chief aide to Nation of Islam leader Elijah Muhammad).[1] The company was founded after the Muhammad Ali vs. Floyd Patterson fight, and the company mainly handled Ali's boxing promotions and pay-per-view closed-circuit television broadcasts in the late 1960s. The company's stockholders included several other fellow Nation of Islam members.[2]

Top Rank Boxing on ESPN

In the early 1980s, Top Rank Boxing and then-fledgling ESPN formed a partnership to bring a weekly boxing to the cable network which culminated with the first regularly televised boxing series since 1964. The first event was held on April 10, 1980, in Atlantic City, when middleweight Frank Fletcher decisioned Ben Serrano.[3] The original Top Rank Boxing on ESPN was the longest-running cable series and weekly boxing series in history, after celebrating its 16th consecutive year in 1996. ESPN broke away from the contract afterward, replacing it with Friday Night Fights—a new series that would feature fights from other promotions and aired on ESPN2.[4]

In July 2017, Top Rank began to soft launch a new broadcasting agreement with ESPN, beginning with Manny Pacquiao vs. Jeff Horn,[5][6] followed by two more cards in August.[7] That month, ESPN officially announced a multi-year agreement, calling for events airing across ESPN linear and digital properties (including its recently launched subscription service ESPN+), and an option to carry events on pay-per-view.[8][9] On August 2, 2018, ESPN extended the agreement through 2025.[10] This coverage ended in 2025.[11]

Announcers

Kenneth Anderson (a.k.a. Mr. Kennedy / Mr. Anderson)

Blow-by-blow

Sal Marchiano (1980–1983)[12]
Sam Rosen (1983–1986)[13]
Al Bernstein (1986–1996)
Don Chevrier (1987–1988)[14]
Tom Kelly (1988–1989)

Announcers

Kenneth Anderson (a.k.a. Mr. Kennedy / Mr. Anderson)

Blow-by-blow

Sal Marchiano (1980–1983)[12]
Sam Rosen (1983–1986)[13]
Al Bernstein (1986–1996)
Don Chevrier (1987–1988)[14]
Tom Kelly (1988–1989)
Barry Tompkins (1989–1994, 2010–2011)[15]

Blow-by-blow

Sal Marchiano (1980–1983)[12]
Sam Rosen (1983–1986)[13]
Al Bernstein (1986–1996)
Don Chevrier (1987–1988)[14]
Tom Kelly (1988–1989)
Barry Tompkins (1989–1994, 2010–2011)[15]
Bob Papa (1996–2003)[16]

Color commentators

Al Bernstein (1980–1986, 1987–1998)[13]
Tommy Hearns (1980)[13]
Randy Gordon (1980–1982)[17]
Donald Curry (1985)[18]
Dave Bontempo (1986–1998)
Teddy Atlas (1998–2017)[19]

type	Privately held company
industry	Boxing promotion
predecessor	Main Bout
founded	1973
founder	Jabir Herbert Muhammad Bob Arum
location city	Las Vegas, Nevada
location country	United States
key people	Bob Arum (CEO)
website	https://www.toprank.com

History

Main Bout

Top Rank Boxing on ESPN

Announcers

Blow-by-blow

Announcers

Blow-by-blow

Blow-by-blow

Color commentators

Current boxers

Notable fighters

Other events

External links

References

Color commentators

Blow-by-blow

Color commentators

Color commentators