It’s time for some bombshell in the world of boxing! A new lawsuit has just hit the headlines, and it’s accusing none other than the President of Top Rank Boxing, Todd duBoef, and stepson of company founder Bob Arum of some sneaky business. Word on the street is that he hid agreements with Drug Lord Daniel Kinahan from ESPN and Bob Arum.
Now, I’m not one to spread rumors, but this lawsuit is making waves in the boxing world. Todd duBoef is a big name in the industry, and if these allegations are true, it could be a major scandal. Who knows what other skeletons he’s got hidden in his closet?
Lawyers working on behalf of boxing manager William Keane filed the suit on Thursday in California Febderal Court, claiming duBoef was desperate to book big fights to appease ESPN after Top Rank signed a $90 million media rights deal with the cable giant in 2017. Keane’s attorney declined to comment to DailyMail.com.
Specifically, duBoef is accused concealing a deal with Daniel Kinahan, an Irish boxing promoter and alleged crime boss with ties to Fury. Keane claims he brokered the arrangement between Top Rank and Kinahan in 2019, which made the accused crime boss the underwriter for Fury’s 2020 rematch with Deontay Wilder. Top Rank allegedly did not have the funds required to underwrite the bout, which ended in a seventh-round TKO for Fury and a reported $5 million purse for both fighters.
Not only was duBoef aware of Kinahan’s reputation, the suit claims, but the Top Rank President allegedly instructed Keane to remain quiet about the arrangement.
‘[DuBoef] authorized Keane to move forward [with Kinahan], but he admonished Keane that ESPN could not find out that Kinahan was involved,’ read the filing. ‘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.’
Kinahan was ultimately sanctioned by the US Treasury in 2022 amid allegations he ran a criminal organization. He is currently in Dubai facing possible extradition to his native Ireland on money laundering charges, according to The Irish Sun.
An attorney representing the Irish promoter previously told the BBC that his client has no criminal record, adding that the claims Kinahan is a crime boss are false.
DuBoef is also accused of paying Kinahan under the table as an international consultant.
DuBoef is the son of Lovee DuBoeff, Arum’s wife.
The lawsuit specifically states that Arum was unaware of duBoef’s alleged arrangement with Kinahan.
‘… duBoef told Keane that Arum could not know about the new Kinahan arrangement,’ read a footnote in the filing. ‘duBoef claimed that Arum was too old and would never understand that he was building a global “media company’’ and needed Kinahan’s muscle to compete with the UFC and expand in Europe.’
We are not jumping to conclusions just yet. Lawsuits can be messy and sometimes people make false accusations for their gain. So we’ll have to wait and see how this all plays out in court. In the meantime, keep your ears open for any updates on this wild boxing scandal. But this seems to be one serious lawsuit!
