By Anthony George – In the good ‘ol USA, a redheaded stepchild gets a seat at the table before boxing. The announcement of Top Rank Boxing exiting ESPN soon will just add to boxing’s ‘living in oblivion’ status in the US. Not only do you really have to search for boxing to watch in the US, but you also have to pay for it on some level. ESPN was as close to free boxing as we have. Enjoy it while it lasts. Perhaps.

Unfortunately, regardless of where Top Rank lands, the oblivion narrative attached to boxing in my country is not going anywhere. The first thought from most folks is that the fans in the US suffer because of the current state of boxing. While this is true, there is a great deal of shrapnel that the boxers get hit with as well. 

Yes, the boxers. It is bad enough that most of the press around today’s fighters are negative. I will not even get into all the ‘old-man-idous’ rhetoric that surrounds the sport and makes me mental. If you know, you know. 

The other side effect of having to be Indiana Jones to find boxing on American television is that the fighter does not get the proper audience it deserves. Contrary to popular belief, there are plenty of fighters well worth watching today. Abdullah Mason is indeed one of them. 

Mason is a blue-chip boxer in the lightweight division. With a record of 17-0 (15 KOs), he deserves to be seen. But how many US fans get to see him? How many people know anything about him? 

Which is too bad because Mason checks all the boxes. Only 20 years old, he fights out of the southpaw stance. Showcasing above average boxing skills, but he likes to bang. That rare blend of technician and thumper.  

When he laces up the boxing gloves, Abdullah Mason wants to finish business inside the distance. Indeed, he is not satisfied with ‘W6, W8, and probably soon to be W10s. As typical in boxing, such aggression comes with a greater price tag. On November 8th, 2024, Mason nearly wrote a check he could not cash against Yohan Vasquez. Vasquez dropped Mason twice in round one. Indeed, a conundrum. Even more so in an eight-round bout. Much less time to make up such a deficit on the scorecards. 

Scorecards you say. None of that, replied Mason. As he proceeded to take Vasquez out in the second round in a thrilling bout. 

Mason continued his impressive stoppage streak-seven in a row now- with a 4th round TKO over Manuel Jaimes, on Valentine’s Day. 

Impressive to exactly whom, is the operative question. The way boxing is showcased in the US these days, too many people are missing out on Mason’s entertainment value. Tragically, the numbers will probably grow once Top Rank Boxing leaves ESPN. 

Or will they?

Concerning Top Rank Boxing, the only part that is certain is that their contract with ESPN expires in August. While there are various reports that TR wants to go in another direction, renegotiating with ESPN is a possibility, until it is not.

Is it a guarantee that a Netflix, or a Peacock, are licking their chops to feature Top Rank Boxing on their streaming services? If not…remains to be seen. 

I will leave that situation to those who get paid to handle such affairs. What I want to do is put some boxers on the radar who are well worth watching but might be living in oblivion in the United States of America. 

First up, Abdullah Mason. 

Thank you for doing what you do.