
via Imago
JANUARY 18 – BROOKLYN, NY: Stephen Espinoza addresses members of the media to announce the Keith Thurman vs Danny Garcia unification bout on March 4, 2017, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY. (Photo by Edward Diller/Icon Sportswire) BOXING: JAN 18 Thurman v Garcia press conference PK Pressekonferenz PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxHUNxRUSxSWExNORxONLY Icon170118002 January 18 Brooklyn NY Stephen Espinoza addresses Members of The Media to announce The Keith Thurman vs Danny Garcia Unification Bout ON March 4 2017 AT The Barclays Center in Brooklyn NY Photo by Edward Diller Icon Sports Wire Boxing Jan 18 Thurman v Garcia Press Conference press conference Press conference PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxHUNxRUSxSWExNORxONLY Icon170118002

via Imago
JANUARY 18 – BROOKLYN, NY: Stephen Espinoza addresses members of the media to announce the Keith Thurman vs Danny Garcia unification bout on March 4, 2017, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY. (Photo by Edward Diller/Icon Sportswire) BOXING: JAN 18 Thurman v Garcia press conference PK Pressekonferenz PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxHUNxRUSxSWExNORxONLY Icon170118002 January 18 Brooklyn NY Stephen Espinoza addresses Members of The Media to announce The Keith Thurman vs Danny Garcia Unification Bout ON March 4 2017 AT The Barclays Center in Brooklyn NY Photo by Edward Diller Icon Sports Wire Boxing Jan 18 Thurman v Garcia Press Conference press conference Press conference PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxHUNxRUSxSWExNORxONLY Icon170118002
Former Showtime Sports President Stephen Espinoza continues to face public ridicule from veteran boxing matchmaker and insider Rick Glaser. Espinoza, who served as President of Sports and Event Programming at Showtime Sports, found himself out of a job after Paramount, Showtime’s parent company, decided to shut down the broadcasting network in late 2023. The move came as a shock, given Showtime’s history of airing some of the biggest events in boxing.
According to a statement from Paramount, the decision to close Showtime Sports was made “to more efficiently allocate resources and align our content offering across the business.” Despite this, Espinoza’s LinkedIn profile still lists his role at Showtime, suggesting his job search has yet to bear fruit.
While Espinoza remains active in the boxing world working with Amazon Prime Video PPV as a close consultant, Rick Glaser has not made things easier for him. In a post on X, Glaser took another jab at Espinoza, writing: “Good morning @StephenEspinoza, hope this finds you well. I understand from multiple sources CAA is representing you in your Executive job search. That agent would have to be an ATG [all-time great] to find you another job. And by the way, you’re now referred to as ‘Stay woke Stephen.’”
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Good morning @StephenEspinoza, hope this finds you well. I understand from multiple sources CAA is representing you in your Excutive job search. That agent would have to be an ATG to be able to find you another job. And by the way, you’re now referred to as “Stay woke Stephen”
— Rick Glaser (@RealRickGlaser1) October 23, 2024
This wasn’t the first time Glaser targeted Espinoza on social media. Just days earlier, he posted a harsher critique, sharing what he described as a conversation between two boxing insiders: “Stephen Espinoza? You mean the f***ing weasel,” said one. The other replied, “You mean the unemployed f**ing weasel,” and they both laughed uncontrollably, per Glaser’s tweet.
Safe to say, Rick Glaser isn’t a fan of Stephen Espinoza. However, Glaser isn’t the only one, who has lashed out against the former Showtime Exec.
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Dana White rubbishes opinions from Stephen Espinoza
Back in May 2024, UFC honcho Dana White reignited his long-standing feud with the former Showtime Exec. After UFC 303, which was previously headlined by Conor McGregor’s return against Michael Chandler, it made history and broke the promotion’s live gate record. White confirmed that the event generated over $20 million in ticket sales, allowing him to rub it in Espinoza’s face.
What’s your perspective on:
Is Stephen Espinoza's downfall deserved, or is he just a victim of the industry's harsh realities?
Have an interesting take?

via Getty
NEWARK, NJ – MAY 04: Dana White speaks to the press and the fans at the UFC 288 media day on May 4, 2023, at Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. (Photo by Louis Grasse/PxImages/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The tension between the two dates back to the McGregor vs. Floyd Mayweather fight in 2017 when they collaborated to co-promote the event. Regardless, Espinoza had previously mocked the UFC for failing to reach such financial heights. Espinoza even touted Showtime’s repeated success in September 2023, “UFC has never done a gate of $20 million in its entire history. We’ve done it three times since April.”
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So, after achieving the $20 million milestone, Dana White finally got his sweet revenge. In response to Espinoza’s statements, he said, “Who gives a flying f**k what Espinoza thinks, pardon my language. Where is Espinoza? Who gives a s**t?”
That being said, Stephen Espinoza has experienced a major downfall since Showtime’s dominance in boxing, with Glaser taking every opportunity to mock the 54-year-old. What are your thoughts on Glaser’s tweets?
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Debate
Is Stephen Espinoza's downfall deserved, or is he just a victim of the industry's harsh realities?