Rumor: Ross Levinsohn to Be Named New HBO Sports President

Update (May 6, 7:40pm EDT): Thomas Hauser noted the denials from Yahoo! and stated, "In determining the truth of the matter, these denials should be given the full weight that they deserve. The proof of the pudding will be in the eating."

Rick Reeno of BoxingScene.com reports today, by word of Thomas Hauser, that current Yahoo! executive vice president Ross Levinsohn will be named the new president of HBO Sports. Yahoo! is denying the move, but Levinsohn has made no official statement.

Levinsohn was named EVP at Yahoo! in November 2010, and if the rumor is true, would be replacing longtime HBO Sports president Ross Greenburg. Recent swirling winds around HBO Sports, and particularly the boxing division, have indicated that the company is very unhappy with the current direction of the product. HBO has "lost" Manny Pacquiao, Shane Mosley and Miguel Cotto to rival Showtime this year, and with Floyd Mayweather Jr. still on the sidelines, they find themselves without a major star to which they can hitch their wagon. Indications so far are also that the Pacquiao camp is very happy with the way Showtime has promoted Saturday's Pacquiao vs Mosley fight, and that there is no reason to expect Pacquiao to return to HBO for his next fight.

It has also been recently rumored that ESPN.com boxing writer Dan Rafael has been in talks with HBO to come on board as a matchmaker.

Just so we can make this clear, as we always have to do in these situations because some people have a hard time reading words: This is, for now, only a rumor. A strong rumor, but still just a rumor.