Boxing doesn't just go away. It hibernates, reinvents itself, and usually finds a way to punch its way back into your living room. But for a few months there in late 2025, things looked kinda grim for the house that Bob Arum built. The long-standing, multi-billion-dollar marriage between Top Rank Boxing and ESPN seemed to have hit a wall that even a 94-year-old Hall of Fame promoter couldn't talk his way over.
You’ve likely noticed the shift. For years, if it was Saturday night, you knew where the fights were. You didn’t have to hunt. You just turned on the "Worldwide Leader" or fired up the app. Then, the schedule started looking a little thin. Rumors swirled about rights being split. Skeptics said the linear TV era of boxing was dead. Honestly, some of the chatter was just noise, but some of it was a cold, hard reality of the streaming wars.
The ESPN Breakup and the 2026 Reality
Let’s get the facts straight because the internet loves a good "death of a sport" narrative. The exclusive deal that put almost every Top Rank card on ESPN or ESPN+ officially expired in late July 2025. This wasn't a sudden "you're fired" moment. It was more like a long-term lease coming to an end where both parties realized the neighborhood had changed.
ESPN, now heavily focused on their upcoming flagship direct-to-consumer streaming launch and balancing massive NFL and NBA commitments, offered Top Rank significantly fewer dates for 2026. We’re talking about a drop to maybe 10-12 major fight dates. For a stable of fighters as deep as Top Rank’s—featuring names like Shakur Stevenson, Teofimo Lopez, and Naoya Inoue—that’s basically a starvation diet.
So, what happened?
Instead of begging for crumbs, Bob Arum and Top Rank President Todd duBoef decided to play the field. They started looking at a "split rights" model, similar to how the MLB or the NBA operates. You might see a big title fight on a major network one week and a developmental card on a streaming-only platform the next.
🔗 Read more: Men's Sophie Cunningham Jersey: Why This Specific Kit is Selling Out Everywhere
Where the Fights Are Landing Now
If you’re trying to find Top Rank Boxing ESPN events today, you have to be a bit more tactical. The relationship isn't totally dead, but it’s no longer the exclusive home.
- ESPN and ESPN+: Still the home for the "mega-events." When Teofimo Lopez faced Shakur Stevenson on January 31, 2026, at Madison Square Garden, that remained an ESPN production.
- The Rise of FAST Channels: Top Rank launched "Top Rank Classics" on platforms like Roku, Tubi, and Pluto TV. It’s free. It’s ad-supported. It’s basically their way of keeping the brand alive for the casual fan who won't pay for a subscription.
- The Mexican Connection: They’ve been leaning hard into a partnership with Zanfer Boxing, often simulcasting shows on ESPN Deportes that don't always make it to the English-language linear channel.
Why This Matters for Your Saturday Night
Look, boxing is a grassroots sport. It always has been. When you move fights behind a $10.99-a-month paywall, and then ask for another $79.99 for a "Premium" event, you lose the kid in the apartment who just wants to see someone get knocked out. Arum knows this. He lived through the era where Muhammad Ali fought on free TV.
The move away from a 100% exclusive ESPN deal is a gamble that "reach" matters more than a single big check. By putting archival footage and smaller cards on free streaming (FAST) services, Top Rank is trying to build a new generation of fans.
It’s a weird time to be a fight fan. One week you're on a legacy app, the next you're watching a "Top Rank Classics" stream on your smart TV's free movie app. It’s messy. It’s confusing. But it’s also the only way the sport survives in an era where the UFC has a stranglehold on the "packaged" combat sports market.
The Fighters Still Carrying the Torch
Despite the broadcast musical chairs, the talent hasn't gone anywhere. If anything, the roster is more explosive than ever.
💡 You might also like: Why Netball Girls Sri Lanka Are Quietly Dominating Asian Sports
Shakur Stevenson remains the defensive wizard everyone loves to hate. He’s the guy who makes world-class athletes look like they’re punching underwater. Then you have Abdullah Mason. If you haven't watched him yet, stop what you're doing. He’s widely considered the best prospect in the sport, a lightweight with a "mean streak" and technical skills that shouldn't belong to someone his age.
Then there is the Japanese monster, Naoya Inoue. Top Rank’s deal to bring his fights to the U.S. audience via ESPN+ was a masterstroke. Even with the time difference—fights often happening at 5 AM on a Tuesday in Vegas—the viewership numbers for Inoue have been staggering. He is the proof that if the fighter is good enough, people will find the "channel," whatever that means in 2026.
The 2026 Schedule Highlights
The start of this year has been packed, even if the "Top Rank Boxing ESPN" banner looks a little different. Here’s what the landscape actually looks like:
- January 31: Teofimo Lopez vs. Shakur Stevenson (The Ring and WBO Super Lightweight titles). This was the "statement" fight for the new era.
- February 28: Emanuel Navarrete vs. Eduardo Nunez. A classic "war" type of fight that Top Rank loves to put on to keep the hardcore fans happy.
- Upcoming Prospects: Watch for Xander Zayas. He’s being groomed as the next Puerto Rican superstar, and his fights are increasingly being used as the "anchor" for these new broadcast experiments.
Is the ESPN Partnership Still Good for Boxing?
There are two ways to look at this.
The "Old Guard" view is that boxing is being pushed to the sidelines. When ESPN prioritizes a mid-week regular-season NHL game over a Top Rank card, it hurts the sport's prestige.
📖 Related: Why Cumberland Valley Boys Basketball Dominates the Mid-Penn (and What’s Next)
The "New School" view? This is freedom. By not being locked into one network, Top Rank can go where the money—and the eyeballs—are. If Amazon Prime or Netflix decides they want a piece of the boxing pie (and we’ve seen they do), Top Rank is now positioned to talk to them.
Actionable Insights: How to Not Miss a Fight
If you're a fan trying to keep up with Top Rank Boxing ESPN in this fragmented world, you need a system. Don't rely on your cable guide anymore.
- Download the ESPN App: It sounds basic, but set "Boxing" as a favorite. This is still where the majority of live Top Rank content will trigger a notification on your phone.
- Check the "FAST" Channels: If there isn't a fight on ESPN, check Tubi or Pluto TV for the "Top Rank Classics" channel. They’ve started "stealth-streaming" some international cards there for free.
- Follow the Beat Reporters: Guys like Dan Rafael or the crew at BoxingScene are more reliable for schedule updates than the networks themselves.
- VPN for International Cards: Many Top Rank fighters compete on cards in Japan or the UK. Sometimes these aren't picked up by ESPN in the U.S., but are available on local platforms like Sky Sports or Kayo.
The era of "one-stop-shop" boxing is over. It’s a hunt now. But for the quality of fights Top Rank is putting out in 2026, the hunt is usually worth it.
The best thing you can do right now is audit your subscriptions. If you're only paying for ESPN+ for boxing, keep an eye on the monthly schedule. If the "dates" drop below two per month, you might be better off cancelling and just buying the big PPVs a la carte. The sport is changing, and as a viewer, your habits have to change with it.