A Call To Fights: Demand Top Rank Boxing Release Their ESPN Library

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By Anthony “Zute” George

During the Covid-19 shutdown, boxing fans still watched boxing. Thanks to YouTube, there is a treasure trove of fights to enjoy. Personally, I have a nice size boxing collection that I always go to, as I have explained in previous writings. Top Rank Boxing and the PBC aired many of their old fights on the networks they work with as well. Top Rank Boxing and ESPN is where I would like to focus because I feel they squandered an excellent opportunity to engage insatiable boxing fans in a unique way during these hard times.

Rather than recycle the same fights they always show, the Muhammad Ali fights, the Mike Tyson fights, the Ray Leonard fights, and so on, they could have opened their library for fans to enjoy. Really open up their library. If you subscribe to ESPN Plus, as I do, Top Rank Boxing has stated that they have opened their golden library of fights to their subscribers. Nothing could be further from the truth. Indeed, they do have plenty of old fights for their customers to enjoy, but they have the same past fights that they have been showing on ESPN classic and occasionally of ESPN and ESPN2 for years. If you are going to tell a guy like me you are opening your entire library, I expect to see Johnny Davis fighting Yaqui Lopez, Donald Curry fighting Mike Senegal, and all of those other great fights from Top Rank Boxing that aired on ESPN.

From about 1980/81 to about 1988, the matchups on Top Rank Boxing were phenomenal. Genuine fight fans fights. Where are they?????

This is a question that I have been asking for quite some time. I even asked Lee Samuels about it personally. Always a gentleman, Lee referred me to a man named Jason Tang. I emailed Mr. Tang and never received a response. Great professionalism. Perhaps my email went to spam.
Now, if I am the only complaining about this, nothing will be done. However, if enough customers reach out to Top Rank Boxing and ESPN, perhaps we make some progress. Am I the only one who cares about this? Knowing the kind of replay value boxing has for a lot of fans, I find it hard to believe I am the only boxing fan who wants to see the early bouts of Terence Ali, Chris Calvin, Keith Adams, and the like. If I am not the only one, help me on this mission and reach out to the proper channels to get this done. Or at least get an explanation of why releasing these fights might not be possible.

Top Rank Boxing has been a giant in the industry for decades. Personally, for me, I think one of the best things that they have done for boxing is their early series on ESPN.

And here is another idea, why not show select rounds of some of these fights when you have filler time on ESPN? That might entice more subscribers to watch the fights on the app. ABC used to always show old matches when they had to fill time, that is how I first saw George Foreman’s slugfest with Ron Lyle, why not do that now? The feedback on the filler time you are giving us now is not good Top Rank, you have a solid alternative for your fans.

The narrative on social media is they are tired of the special interest stories by Mark Kriegel. Personally, I do not mind them. I always enjoy getting to know a boxer more. With that said, I understand the criticism. If you run the same idea every telecast, the special interest becomes too familiar, and can become stale for the viewers. The commonality is typically not special. Humans need variety, as not everyone is Wade Boggs. Mr. Kriegel is a talented guy, and he could whip up an intriguing narrative before showing one of your older fights if you want to keep him in the loop. No, not Ali-Frazier, either. Maybe Ali-Bumpus instead.

If you are with me, make your voice heard. I never met a quiet wheel getting serviced with oil.
Will you be with me?

Stay tuned…

Anthony “Zute” George is the Author of Tough Man: The Greg Haugen Story, a new boxing book that covers the skilled champion from Auburn, Washington, as well as the scope of the times during his days of pugilism.

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