Top Rank Boxing president hid deal with alleged drug gang leader from ESPN, Bob Arum: bombshell lawsuit


Todd duBoef, the President of Top Rank Boxing, allegedly hid deals he made with the head of a criminal drug gang from TV partner ESPN so he could land coveted Tyson Fury fights, according to a blockbuster suit filed Thursday afternoon.

DuBoef also allegedly hid this arrangement from his legendary stepfather and Top Rank CEO Bob Arum. He is Arum’s second wife’s son and lives in Aspen, Colo.

Todd DuBoef was allegedly nervous about Walt Disney finding out he was working with a drug lord. Sportsfile via Getty Images

Boxing manager William Keane is suing Top Rank and duBoef in California Federal Court for more than $25 million in unpaid fees.

He alleges in his suit that duBoef desperately needed some big fights to please ESPN after signing a $90 million per year media rights contract in 2017.

DuBoef is accused of reaching a deal with alleged crime boss Daniel Kinahan, who has ties to Fury, to get the multiple-time heavyweight champ to fight with Top Rank. DuBoef was aware of Kinahan’s reputation, the suit claims.

DuBoef allegedly told Keane, who brokered the Kinahan arrangement in 2019, to not tell ESPN that Kinahan underwrote the purse of the second Fury-Deontay Wilder fight, according to court documents. Top Rank was desperate because it allegedly did not have the money to underwrite the bout.

Tyson Fury in 2019 put his arm around Bob Arum after beating Tom Schwarz in Las Vegas. Getty Images

DuBoef “authorized Keane to move forward [with Kinahan], but he admonished Keane that ESPN could not find out that Kinahan was involved. According to duBoef, the Irish press had reported that Kinahan was the head of a drug cartel, and if duBoef were linked to Kinahan, ESPN might be forced to terminate their deal,” the suit alleges.

He also allegedly paid Kinahan a fee under the table to get more fights as his top international consultant. DuBoef did not want 93 year-old Arum, who gained fame for promoting “Sugar” Ray Leonard, Marvin Hagler, Thomas Hearns and Roberto Duran fights in the 70s and 80s to find out that he had hired Kinahan for that role, the suit alleges.

The US Treasury in April 2022 sanctioned Kinahan, calling his organization a criminal group. This was a serious problem because Kinahan was a known Fury advisor.

William Keane (left) poses with boxing legend Manny Pacquiao.

“DuBoef asked Keane to lie to senior ESPN executives and say that duBoef had nothing to do with Kinahan and had never even met him,” the suit, filed by Los Angeles lawyer Patricia Glaser, alleges.

“I’m a law-abiding American citizen,” Bob Arum said publicly at the time, “and I will adhere to those sanctions and not have any business relationship or any other relationship with [Kinahan] — period. End of story. There’s not even an argument there.”

Kinahan is now reportedly in Dubai and facing extradition for possible money laundering charges back to his home country of Ireland, as a treaty between the United Arab Emirates and Ireland could happen in the coming days.  

Ireland is trying to extradite Daniel Kinahan.

ESPN has already decided not to renew its contract with Top Rank that expires this year, a source with knowledge of the situation said.
Top Rank hopes to land a contract with a steaming service like Amazon if it cannot strike a new deal with ESPN, sources said.
Meanwhile, Top Rank says it still has Fury for one more US fight. Fury announced last month that he is retiring from boxing.

Tyson Fury (left) is close to his advisor and alleged crime boss Daniel Kinahan (right) as seen in this 2020 photo.
Fury has been Top Rank’s biggest star since it lost Manny Pacquiao.
Top Rank did not immediately respond for comment after the suit was filed.

https://nypost.com/2025/02/27/sport...eged-drug-gang-leader-from-espn-lawsuit/

Boxing or Martial Arts will always have a shady side, I don't see how you could get it clean.
But so many ordinary people enjoy the fights, I'm one of them.

Speaking of "always have a shady side," here's a link to a good article about Frankie Carbo and Jim Norris and how they locked up boxing for many years. Watching boxing on TV in the Fifties, you'd always see Norris's face in the credits before each bout"

https://boxeomundial.com/the-evil-empire-frankie-carbo-and-jim-norris/

Sonny Liston pictured with notorious London gangsters the Kray twins in 1965.

Dana White once revealed the insane story of how he fled his hometown to escape Whitey Bulger, , which prompted him to get involved in the UFC.

In Japan the famous K-1 tournaments were controlled by the Yakuza.
But I do believe the fights were mostly honest not rigged they made enough money by controlling the events.

EXCLUSIVE | Cartel boss Daniel Kinahan put ‘lean on’ Conor McGregor, lawsuit claims

https://www.sundayworld.com/crime/w...-mcgregor-lawsuit-claims/a661723862.html

Fat Reg and Ronnie look almost as menacing as Liston--not easy to do.

I don;t know much about boxing, but I have seen Tyson Fury fights, and they definitely are not fixed. Athletes will hang out on occasion with alleged gangsters, it does not mean they are under tier control.


It says in the story Arum is 93 years old. Wasn't he once a prosecutor before becoming promoter?