PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 27, 2026--
Joe Hand Promotions (JHP), the nation’s largest and most experienced distributor of premium live sports to the commercial market, is once again demonstrating its unmatched offerings in combat sports. Cinco de Mayo is perhaps the most consistently active weekend of the year for boxing fans, viewers, and consumers, and for the fourth year in a row, JHP will distribute a stacked fight card celebrating the Mexican holiday.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260427117333/en/
On Saturday, May 2, two-division world champion David Benavidez will move up in weight to challenge unified cruiserweight world champion Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez. The marquee bout headlines a stacked boxing card live from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. JHP holds the exclusive rights to distribute the event to the commercial market in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico and, as a signature differentiator, delivers to customers via their preferred platform. Benavidez vs. Zurdo will be available in the commercial market via DIRECTV FOR BUSINESS, DISH, cable providers, and streaming through the Joe Hand Promotions app.
"Our content partners rely on us to not only distribute their world-class events but also to amplify their marketing reach through commercial establishments," said Joe Hand, Jr., President of Joe Hand Promotions. "We ensure delivery of a great product to our customers, no matter their technological preference and provide them with the materials to raise awareness at their establishment. Cinco de Mayo weekend remains a significant weekend for our customers and we are proud to provide offerings that consistently increase traffic at their establishments."
In addition to boxing, JHP offers more than 40 live UFC events per year as well as WWE and AEW premium live events. JHP also distributes ESPN+ for Business commercially, which is highlighted by 400+ college basketball games, 125+ college football matchups, elite international soccer, 30+ PGA TOUR weekends, exclusive NHL games, Wimbledon, the U.S. Open and a broad range of additional college sports. JHP’s comprehensive content offering covers prime-time, weekends and delivers value throughout the day giving business owners a competitive edge in driving traffic across dayparts.
Fans can search for licensed venues by event and geographic location using Fanzo’sbar finder. All Joe Hand Promotions customers for all licensed events receive a FANZO venue profile making it easier for hospitality patrons to find locations exhibiting the content they desire.
Hospitality Owners and Operators: If you are an owner/operator looking to purchase the May 2 event, or for more information, please call Joe Hand Promotions at 1-800-557-4263 or you can purchase here.
About Joe Hand Promotions
Founded in 1971, Joe Hand Promotions is the nation’s premier distributor of premium sports content to commercial establishments, including bars, restaurants, and casinos. JHP has been a trusted partner for decades to brands such as the UFC, WWE, DAZN, Premier Boxing Champions, and others, delivering premium viewing experiences to fans while creating value for venue owners across the country.
Benavidez vs. Zurdo; May 2, 2026
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A controversial proposal in California to temporarily increase taxes on billionaires has enough signatures to qualify for the November ballot, a labor union backing the measure said Monday.
The proposal, backed by the Service Employees International Union Healthcare Workers West, would impose a one-time, 5% tax on individuals whose net worth exceeds $1 billion and who were living in the state as of Jan. 1, 2026. The goal is to generate $100 billion in revenue, which would largely be used to offset federal funding cuts to healthcare for low-income people.
“California’s health is at stake,” said Liz Perlman, executive director of a chapter of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, a major labor union. “Hospitals are closing and people will die. Why? So billionaires can get another tax cut that they don’t need.”
The California Secretary of State still has to verify the signatures and officially place the measure on the ballot. Backers say they collected more than 1.5 million signatures, well over the roughly 875,000 they needed. California allows ballot initiative campaigns to pay people per signature they gather. The cost of gathering petition signatures can vary widely, but it typically runs around $15 for each signature.
If the measure goes before voters in November, it could prompt one of the costliest ballot fights ever and will draw national attention as a litmus test for voter attitudes on raising taxes on the rich. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders has campaigned in support of the idea. Meanwhile, Google founder Sergey Brin has already donated $57 million to a political committee called “Building a Better California” that’s backing a variety of initiatives designed to blunt the billionaires’ tax. It’s raised over $90 million, counting Brin’s contributions, from fewer than a dozen donors.
Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom and Silicon Valley tech moguls are adamantly opposed. They warn it will drive California's wealthiest residents out of the state. Nearly half of California's personal income tax revenue comes from the top 1% of earners. Some have already purchased properties out of state in case it passes.
“After playing with matches since October, the SEIU has succeeded in lighting a ‘Tax the Rich’ wildfire by getting enough signatures,” said David Lesperance, a tax consultant who's advised some of his wealthy clients who left California because of the proposal. “The many billionaire targets of their efforts have already responded by executing fire escape plans by relocating to other states.”
Brian Brokaw, a longtime Newsom adviser who is leading a political committee opposing the tax, said the measure was poorly constructed and would deal a huge blow to the state’s budget.
“Enacting a so-called wealth tax in just one state wouldn’t target a small group -- it would impact all 40 million Californians,” he said in a statement. “This proposal trades a short-term revenue bump for long-term losses.”
At least 25 billionaires listed among Forbes magazine’s 2025 rankings of the world’s 500 wealthiest people either lived in California or had some significant ties to the state, based on a review by The Associated Press. But determining whether they were full-time residents or just frequent visitors could turn into a matter of dispute, since many of them own property elsewhere.
The big tax and spending cuts law President Donald Trump signed last year will cut more than $1 trillion nationwide over a decade from Medicaid and federal food assistance.
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Associated Press writer Michael R. Blood in Los Angeles contributed.
FILE - People visit the Billionaire Tax Now booth at the 2026 California Democratic Party State Convention in San Francisco, Feb. 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)
FILE - People supporting Billionaire Tax Now hold up signs at the 2026 California Democratic Party State Convention in San Francisco, Feb. 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)
