Top Rank is Marching Boxing Back to Las Vegas

Top Rank is Marching Boxing Back to Las Vegas

Top Rank’s Bob Arum has his promotion company marching into Las Vegas like a corps of Sherman Tanks rolling into battle with a three-prong attack.

After three months of inactivity Top Rank will crank up the boxing engine with two fight cards beginning with Shakur Stevenson on Tuesday June 9, and following it on Thursday June 11, all at the MGM Grand Conference Center. ESPN will televise.

“Looks like we’re back. This is a momentous occasion,” said Arum via telephone conference call on Thursday. “Really proud that Top Rank is the first promoter out of the box.”

Boxing is on the move.

The speedy 22-year-old Stevenson (13-0, 7 KOs) returns to the boxing ring and though he has the WBO world title at 126-pounds will be fighting Puerto Rico’s Felix Caraballo (13-1-2, 9 KOs) at the super featherweight level of 130 pounds.

It was a decision made by management for the growing Olympian who turns 23 at the end of the month.

Caraballo is a natural featherweight who accepted the fight at a heavier weight willingly.

“I feel it’s every boxer’s dream. If I beat him at 130 without that title I’m going to give it all. I know if we win were going to open all the doors to have better fights,” said Caraballo.

Stevenson said he glanced over a single tape of Caraballo and was not impressed.

“I watched like one round and I see everything I needed to see in that one round,” said Stevenson who hails out of Newark, New Jersey. “I see a lot of holes in his game. He is nowhere near on my level.”

The last time Stevenson was about to enter the prize ring was back in March at Madison Square Garden. Little did anyone know the devastation that awaited the city of New York which now has more than 25,000 deaths due to the coronavirus that forced the cancellation of that fight card.

All of boxing stopped to a frozen halt.

After UFC took the lead with fight cards in Florida showing what was needed to proceed under the dangers of the virus spread, Top Rank had its team plan and design a course. Now that the machinery is in place including testing of the athletes, television personnel and Nevada State Athletic Commission officials, the show will proceed with multiple fight cards planned in Las Vegas.

“One step at a time. It’s not easy and not inexpensive,” said Arum that includes testing cost, specific rooms to eat, sleep and congregate. It’s a virtual bubble devised to protect everyone. “Just testing for each event costs in excess of $25,000. Plus room special security and dining areas. Obviously we have to get it down perhaps for three months.”

Arum hopes that actual spectators can return by the month of September.

First up will be Stevenson versus Caraballo with a semi-main event that includes the talented Mikaela Mayer facing Helen Joseph in a 10-round super featherweight clash. Two days later, former super bantamweight titlist Jesse Magdaleno meets Yenifel Vicente in a super featherweight main event at the same location.

Boxing is back and all of the participants are ecstatic.

“For me it’s great. I never thought I was going to fight again this year. When I got the call I got excited. I never stopped training,” said Caraballo.

Stevenson was equally ready.

“I’m a gym rat. I’m always in the gym,” he said.

Of all the sports in the USA it is prizefighting that has emerged first out of the box.

“In this two-month period in June and July there won’t be any NBA or Major League Baseball. The spotlight will be on the sport of boxing,” said Arum. “I believe the public will be enthused about the competitive level of the sport.”

As a person once said in the classic movie Casablanca:

“Welcome back to the fight.”

Check out more boxing news on video at The Boxing Channel 

To comment on this story in The Fight Forum CLICK HERE