Top Rank Boxing

Top Rank, Inc. is a Las Vegas, Nevada based boxing promotion company founded by Bob Arum, which was incorporated in 1973. Since its founding, the company has promoted several world class fighters, such as Muhammad Ali, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Alexis Arguello, Paulie Ayala, Iran Barkley, Michael Carbajal, Oscar De La Hoya, Roberto Duran, Eric "Butterbean" Esch, George Foreman, Joe Frazier, Marvin Hagler, Thomas Hearns, Larry Holmes, Sugar Ray Leonard, Ray Mancini, Carlos Monzon, Terry Norris, Gabriel Ruelas, Rafael Ruelas, James Toney and many others. The company has promoted such superfights as Hagler vs Leonard, Chavez 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 Michael Moorer on November 5, 1994. Recently the company has focused primarily on Hispanic fighters.

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. The now defunct "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.

Legal disputes

Top Rank was involved in a legal dispute with Golden Boy Promotions (owned by De La Hoya, whom the company formerly promoted) which was recently settled to allow for the Shane Mosley vs Miguel Cotto fight in November 2007.

Top Rank owner Bob Arum has also had a long-standing feud with owner of Don King Promotions, Don King. The two have been accused of having a strangle hold over the sport of boxing and have had several altercations over the forty plus years they have been competing with each other.

Current fighters

*Jose Aguiniga
*Mike Alvarado
*Jorge Arce
*Urbano Antillon
*Jose Luis Castillo
*Martin Castillo
*Julio Cesar Chavez Jr
*Joshua Clottey
*Miguel Cotto
*Kid Diamond
*Yuri Foreman
*Don George
*Juan Manuel Lopez
*Steven Luevano
*Antonio Margarito
*Vanes Martirosyan
*Erik Morales
*Tommy Morrison
*Victor Ortiz
*Bobby Pacquiao
*Manny Pacquiao
*Kelly Pavlik
*Alejando Perez
*Hasim Rahman
*Ray Sanchez
*Giovanni Segura
*Humberto Soto
*Anthony Thompson
*Brian Viloria
*Jose Luis Zertuche

External links

* [http://www.toprank.com/ Top Rank Promotions]