There is a bombshell allegation in the boxing world that could reshape the sport's broadcasting landscape, and it points the finger squarely at two former ESPN executives with deep ties to the UFC.

According to a source cited by Brunch Boxing, Matt Kenny and Glenn Jacobs allegedly worked to undermine Top Rank's longstanding television deal with ESPN before departing the network for Paramount and Zuffa Boxing, respectively. If true, the implications are staggering, a deliberate act of sabotage designed to weaken one of boxing's premier promotional outfits while simultaneously positioning a rival combat sports brand for a power grab.

The allegations paint a picture of a calculated betrayal. Kenny and Jacobs, both with backgrounds tied to the UFC ecosystem, were sitting inside one of sports media's most powerful institutions while purportedly steering it away from boxing and toward MMA. Critics have long suspected that UFC-aligned interests were quietly chipping away at boxing's foothold at ESPN, and these accusations give that suspicion a human face, and two very specific names.

For Top Rank, the fallout from ESPN has been more than just a financial inconvenience. The promotional giant, led by the legendary Bob Arum, built much of its modern identity around the ESPN platform. Losing that deal didn't just cost the company airtime, it cost fighters exposure, reduced PPV build-up opportunities, and stripped the promotion of a mainstream megaphone it had used to amplify stars like Terence Crawford, Vasiliy Lomachenko, and Shakur Stevenson.

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Now, with Kenny and Jacobs no longer walking ESPN's halls, the two sides are reportedly exploring a path back to each other. Sources indicate that both Top Rank and ESPN are in early discussions to forge a new partnership — a potential reunion that could breathe fresh life into the boxing-at-ESPN relationship.

The timing is notable. With Zuffa Boxing ramping up its ambitions under the TKO banner and Paramount positioning itself as a serious combat sports player, boxing's traditional powers cannot afford to cede any more ground. A renewed Top Rank-ESPN alliance would send a clear message: the old guard isn't going quietly.

Whether the deal gets done remains to be seen. But one thing is clear — the exits of Kenny and Jacobs may have inadvertently opened a door that both sides now want to walk back through.