Top Rank has certainly generated some waves in purse bids over the last couple days. Plus, Oscar Valdez makes a big change and ESPN+ makes a surprise international fight pickup.
- Hooker-Saucedo – First, new WBO junior welterweight titleholder Maurice Hooker has known he will be making his first defense against mandatory titleholder Alex Saucedo for some time now. Given his big signing with Matchroom USA and DAZN, it has been expected the entire time that they would promote and air his compelling first defense respectively. Not so fast says Bob Arum. Top Rank surprised basically everyone by putting up a big, $1,625,000 bid to take the fight. This is a highly unusual move given that the champion and out of house fighter gets 75% of that bid by the WBO rules, but Top Rank clearly really wants the fight. It will reportedly take place in Saucedo’s home of Oklahoma now and will definitely air on an ESPN network in one form or another.
- Murata Says No – Speaking of Top Rank purse bid drama, secondary titleholder Ryota Murata’s strange purse bid to defend against Rob Brant went off the rails in a hurry. Neither Top Rank nor Murata’s Japanese promoter Teiken bothered to bid at all. The message was clear at that point that they had no intention of the fight going forward as ordered. Their reason? For some reason, the WBA made this purse split 50-50 when 75-25 in favor of the champion has been the standard historically. Top Rank never wanted this fight anyway. Instead they’ve been eyeing Irish Golden Boy prospect Jason Quigley for what would likely be a good action fight for a Top Rank on ESPN show. That’s likely the direction they will head. Murata will almost assuredly be stripped, but it isn’t a real world title anyway so it hardly matters.
- Oscar Valdez – In a move I think is probably right for him, WBO featherweight titleholder Oscar Valdez has parted ways with highly regarded trainer Manny Robles. While Robles has been and remains one of the top few trainers in the sport, Valdez has definitely regressed a bit over his last few fights in my view. He must agree. Though the wild brawls have definitely been fun, they don’t spell well for young Oscar’s longevity as a top fighter. He needs to reclaim some of the more technical aspects of his game that he has abandoned under Robles. Valdez will be going with Eddie Reynoso going forward. Reynoso is known almost exclusively for training Canelo Alvarez.
- Go ESPN+ – Finally, we end on a positive note. ESPN’s new OTT streaming service really caught me off guard in the best way today. It has been announced that the network has picked up Thursday morning’s quality super bantamweight title fight in Japan. Defending titleholder Ryosuke Iwasa will have a lot on his plate trying to hold off top Australian prospect TJ Doheny in a fight I am looking forward to. I said in the fight schedule that there was no hope for an American pick up, but I am happy to say I am wrong. The apparent reason here is that Top Rank is eyeing the winner for a unification fight with Isaac Dogboe in 2019. That would be even better news were it to actually happen.
