Rafael out at Espn

[Jeff_lacy_ko]

Multiple sites confirming

[margaret thatcher]

I wonder why, I remember a year or so ago he was going on about just signing a long term deal

[Jeff_lacy_ko]

An ESPN spokesperson confirmed Monday afternoon to Michael Woods of NYFights.com that Rafael’s contract was not renewed,

“Dan Rafael has been an important part of our boxing coverage for almost two decades and we thank him for the many contributions he made to the coverage of the sport during that time. We wish him success in his next chapter.”

[Jeff_lacy_ko]

My guess is they bought him out with some clause to save some budget money given sports doesnt exist at the moment

[brian13]

He will be snapped up quickly.

[boxing_rocks]

My guess is they bought him out with some clause to save some budget money given sports doesnt exist at the moment

I also think that this was about saving money in this sport free time.

[Enlightened-One]

Top Rank vs. Dan Rafael = ESPN releasing Rafael

[margaret thatcher]

Top Rank vs. Dan Rafael = ESPN releasing Rafael

Is Dan anti Top Rank

[Enlightened-One]

Top Rank vs. Dan Rafael = ESPN releasing Rafael

Is Dan anti Top Rank

Dan signed a contract extension with ESPN in 2016, but he never refrained from criticising Top Rank.

And to be fair Rafael is fairly critical of most boxing content providers, but in a way, Top Rank were his “colleagues”.

Thomas Hauser used to be highly-critical of HBO, but eventually toed the party line when they employed him, which resulted in the controversial journalist posting highly-critical articles of his employers rivals.

So Hauser toed the line and kept his job, but Rafael didn’t, compelling ESPN to refrain from renewing his contract.

I’m not alone in believing this was a Top Rank vs. Rafael situation.

[Jeff_lacy_ko]

When was he anti top rank? Examples?

[JCS]

He'll probably be heading over to The Athletic.

[JCS]

I hated Dan for two things...

#1 There was a fight long ago, I believe Marquez/John, he initially wrote up as if he saw... then later wrote that he did not.

#2 His Twitter was hacked. At the time, I followed him and got some bullshit spam about weight loss. I responded, telling him that a fat f*ck like him needs to take that advice rather than give it to me. He banned me for it.

[margaret thatcher]

Was Dan biased against black fighters, or the deeply idolized Al Haymon? I notice a lot of the Dontae crew especially hate him

[Enlightened-One]

When was he anti top rank? Examples?

Pacquiao-Mosley?
Crawford’s lack of opposition?
Top Rank’s poor ratings for an event headlined by Kubrat Pulev?
Bob Arum removing Rafael’s press credentials and removing him from press row last year for one of Top Rank’s press conferences?

[Jeff_lacy_ko]

When was he anti top rank? Examples?

Pacquiao-Mosley?
Crawford’s lack of opposition?
Top Rank’s poor ratings for an event headlined by Kubrat Pulev?
Bob Arum removing Rafael’s press credentials and removing him from press row last year for one of Top Rank’s press conferences?

Interesting. Most considered him biased for top rank

[Onetimeonly]

The writing was on the wall when they brought on Steve Kim who will work for pennies on the dollar for what they paid Dan. It's not toe the line for tr, it's money.

[apollo creed]

Yeah probably they want someone cheaper to work for them. That's the main trend almost everywhere.

[JCS]

Any idea what kind of salary a guy like Danny was pulling? I imagine it was fairly significant since he occasionally got TV time. $250k/yr?

[Ruthless-RKO]

Any idea what kind of salary a guy like Danny was pulling? I imagine it was fairly significant since he occasionally got TV time. $250k/yr?

Definately earned over $1m over the past few years alone.

[Onetimeonly]

Any idea what kind of salary a guy like Danny was pulling? I imagine it was fairly significant since he occasionally got TV time. $250k/yr?

I'd assume that's accurate where someone like Kim was making about 10k.

[JCS]

There's a ton of amusing Twitter material about him getting canned.

[margaret thatcher]

There's a ton of amusing Twitter material about him getting canned.

Let's see it homeslice

[JCS]

There's a ton of amusing Twitter material about him getting canned.

Let's see it homeslice

[margaret thatcher]

[Enlightened-One]

Any idea what kind of salary a guy like Danny was pulling? I imagine it was fairly significant since he occasionally got TV time. $250k/yr?

Definately earned over $1m over the past few years alone.

I’m sorry, but Dan Rafael definitely isn’t a multi-millionaire.

I’ve read some of the unsubstantiated “net worth” websites, which allege outlandish claims about Rafael’s income, but it’s all utter nonsense, because journalists don’t earn those sums.

He doesn’t even travel to most marquee bouts, because (by his own admission) his health prevents him from doing so.

Read some of his archived ESPN Friday afternoon chats and you’ll see him conceding this.

He might have been well paid, by normal people’s standards, but he’s not a multi-millionaire.