Tag Archives: Bob Arum
Bob Arum: “I Don’t Know What PBC Is Doing, They’ve Done So Many Pay-Per-View Events Which Have Largely Been unsuccessful”
By: Hans Themistode
Things have changed in the sport of boxing ever since COVID-19 has wrapped its disease-ridden arms around it. Not only are events held with a meager amount of spectators or in some cases, inside of an entirely empty arena, from a financial standpoint, the deadly disease has forced several notable boxers to take a significant pay cut.
While promoters such as Bob Arum have paid his stable of fighters wealthy sums, in many instances, prominent names such as Teofimo Lopez have balked at the numbers floated in their direction.
Arum, 89, has continued to carefully count his money before dispensing it. Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) on the other hand, has had no such issues as none of their fighters have been asked to take a reduction in pay.
Even with a worldwide pandemic taking place, PBC has pushed many of its bigger events to the Pay-Per-View side of things. Yet, with the numbers that they have continued to churn out, Arum simply can’t understand why they continue to dig their hands into the pockets of fans.
“I don’t know what PBC is doing,” said Arum during a recent interview with Barbershop Conversations. “They’ve done so many of these Pay-Per-View events which have largely been unsuccessful. It must be costing a ton of money. Whether it’s the Charlo brothers or even Tank Davis who’s a big talent. His fight with Cruz was a good fight but not a Pay-Per-View fight. Not for the price they were charging.
“People have to realize where we’re at economically in this country. You’re not going to get the public to shell out big bucks in this climate. Unless it’s something so overwhelming that they decide to do it.”
In totality, PBC has put together three Pay-Per-View events. A twin doubleheader on September 26th, featuring unified 154-pound champion Jermell Charlo and his twin brother WBC middleweight titlist Jermall Charlo. The final numbers for their showing were reportedly between 100,000 to 120,000 buys. Another event, which took place on October 31st between Gervonta Davis and Leo Santa Cruz reportedly pulled in 200,000 to 225,000 buys. Their final Pay-Per-View event of the year took place just a few weeks ago featured Errol Spence Jr.
According to Arum, what qualifies as something “overwhelming,” would be the long-awaited showdown between the previously mentioned unified welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr. and WBO belt holder Terence Crawford. Despite Spence Jr. reeling in roughly 250,000 Pay-Per-View buys for his one-sided victory against Danny Garcia on December 5th, Arum is under the belief that a matchup between the two undefeated 147-pound titlist would bring in much higher numbers.
“Listen, if Crawford doesn’t fight Spence and Spence doesn’t fight Crawford everybody is fooling themselves. If you want to do a big Pay-Per-View event then you got to put Crawford and Spence together.”
For as critical as Arum has been to Spence Jr. and his ability to draw, Crawford has struggled even more. In a 2016 July Pay-Per-View headlined by Crawford and Viktor Postol, the Nebraska native reportedly pulled in somewhere between 50,000 and 60,000 buys. Three years later, Crawford would headline his own Pay-Per-View again, this time against Amir Khan. Crawford’s number would increase to 150,000 but when juxtaposed to the figures of Spence Jr., the difference is glaring.
Spence Jr.’s 250,000 Pay-Per-View buys represent his worse since he appeared on the platform. In back to back fights against Mikey Garcia and Shawn Porter respectively, Spence Jr. pulled in roughly 350,000 buys apiece.
Regardless of his success however, Arum is convinced that only a Crawford vs Spence showdown would drive up Pay-Per-View sales and fatten both of their bank accounts.
“Who is Spence going to make money with if not Crawford? Manny Pacquiao isn’t going to fight either one of them now. He’s waiting to fight Conor McGregor after McGregor does the UFC fight. Now you can’t blame Pacquiao for that because Conor McGregor is just a good money grab.”
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Bob Arum: “Shakur Stevenson Mark My Words Will Eventually Be The Face Of Boxing”
By: Hans Themistode
At this moment, very few will argue that Canelo Alvarez is the face of boxing. That may be good and well, however, his name at the top of virtually every pound for pound list and billboard across the world will soon be replaced according to promoter Bob Arum.
“Shakur Stevenson mark my words will eventually be the face of boxing,” said Arum during an interview with IFL TV.
Ever since making his pro debut in 2017, Arum hasn’t stopped gushing over the former 2016 Olympic silver medalist. The normal slow pace of a prospect was immediately sped up as Stevenson won his first world title in his second year and 13th fight. Now, just one year later, Stevenson is attempting to reel in his second title in just as many weight classes.
Landing a punch on the 23-year-old has become nearly impossible as his defensive abilities are always on display. During his short, yet successful career, Stevenson has been compared to some of the best to ever step foot inside of a ring such as Floyd Mayweather.
Having spent numerous years working with Mayweather, Arum understands the comparisons but he also believes Stevenson is beyond even the newly inducted hall of famer.
“He is a tremendous talent. At this stage in his career he’s better even than Floyd Mayweather was at the same stage and we promoted Floyd for ten and a half years.”
While Stevenson has continued to put in the work in the gym, those who he has surrounded himself with have helped mold him into who he is today. Arum in turn, has taken notice of his supporting cast and has heaped praise upon every single one them.
“I’m really thrilled with Shakur, I like the people around him. The trainer, his grandfather, the manager. Everyone is working together to make Shakur the superstar that he will be.”
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Bob Arum Unimpressed With Anthony Joshua’s Stoppage Win Over Kubrat Pulev: “He Was A Little Better Than Ordinary”
By: Hans Themistode
A crowd of one thousand fans stood on their feet and cheered as unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua placed the finishing touches on IBF mandatory challenger Kubrat Pulev. After dropping his man twice in the third, Joshua closed the show in the ninth round at Wembley Arena.
Amongst the cheering fans who were thrilled with his performance was future hall of famer Floyd Mayweather Jr. As the two embraced afterward, Mayweather appeared to be congratulating him on his performance. But while Mayweather and the crowd tipped their cap to Joshua, promoter Bob Arum sat stone-faced in his palatial estate, unimpressed.
“No, goodness no,” said Arum immediately following Joshua’s victory when asked if he was impressed. “He was tentative and didn’t really show the ability to get away from a punch. He was a little better than ordinary. That’s the truth, I’m not going to sugarcoat it. He didn’t appear to pose any kind of problem for Tyson Fury.”
For months now, Arum claimed that Joshua would end up flat on his back when the two met in the ring. Arum’s assumptions, by and large, were true, just for the wrong fighter. Joshua pummeled Pulev and quickly ended any dreams of the 39-year-old becoming a world champion. His performance though, was mediocre at best according to Arum. The fact of the matter is, it wasn’t what Joshua did do, but more so what Pulev didn’t.
“Well, Joshua was clearly the better man. Kubrat couldn’t pull the trigger. He landed a couple of good shots but he couldn’t follow up and Joshua got him out of there. But I don’t think it was a particularly stellar performance by Anthony Joshua but it was good enough to get the win by stoppage.”
Joshua’s win, while heavily picked apart by Arum, did place a smile on the 89-year-old promoter’s face. The victory served as the final hurdle before an all-British heavyweight showdown between Joshua and WBC/Ring magazine belt holder Tyson Fury.
With the 39-year-old Pulev now out of the way, Joshua has effectively cleaned up his side of the street. As for Fury, he appeared to be entrenched in a messy legal battle with former WBC titlist Deontay Wilder. The two fought to a split draw in 2018 before Fury laid out the surly big man earlier this year. Fury was contractually bound to Wilder for a third contest, something that the former belt holder enacted immediately. However, due to numerous postponements for various reasons, their contract has reportedly expired.
Despite that, it hasn’t stopped Wilder from attempting to secure their trilogy. His attempt to legally enforce anything regarded Fury however, is extraneous.
“The contract has run out. It’s clear that it expired sometime in October.”
Deals for fights of this magnitude tend to linger and protract for long periods of time. In this case, Arum is expecting a quick and easy negotiation. The long time promoter has already scheduled a phone call with fellow promoter Eddie Hearn and has put together the framework of what would be a two-fight deal.
“I think we talk on Monday. It would be a 50/50 deal. The first fight is 50/50 and then the winner on the second fight gets 60%.”
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Bob Arum: “I Don’t Give A Shit If Team Crawford Got Mad At Me”
By: Hans Themistode
Bob Arum was all smiles when his WBO welterweight star Terence Crawford scored a fourth round knockout win over former belt holder Kell Brook this past weekend. Yet, Arum was apparently fuming behind the scenes.
Crawford, 34, has never been loquacious. The soft-spoken Nebraska native has always been content with letting his hands do the talking for him. So it came as no surprise that he didn’t go on an adamant rant over who he would like to face next. Crawford simply stated that he would like to resume talks to face Manny Pacquiao while also reiterating that if a fight with unified welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr. did not come to fruition, then he would have no problem with it.
Arum now, is sick and tired of being the mouthpiece for his fighter, and he’s tired of watching his bank account dwindle away because of his lack of star power.
“He’s got to promote like (unified lightweight champion Teofimo) Lopez does,” said Arum following Crawford’s victory. “He’s got to promote like (former featherweight champion) Shakur (Stevenson) does. Like (Floyd) Mayweather did. Like (Manny) Pacquiao did. If he doesn’t, then who the fuck needs him? He may be the greatest fighter in the world, but, hey, I ain’t going bankrupt promoting him.”
The words of Arum weren’t taken too well by team Crawford and his star has since fired back.
“If he feels that way then he can release me now,” said Crawford on the Ak and Barak show. “If he feels like I’m not an asset to his company then he can release me now.”
The hurt feelings and sideway glances coming from both parties is something that Arum could care less about. Business is business and the 88-year-old doesn’t believe he did or said anything wrong.
“I don’t give a shit if team Crawford got mad at me,” said Arum to The Athletic. “This business is not about getting mad. This business is about facts and the reality of the situation. What’d I say that was wrong? I’ll show him how much we’ve lost on his fights.”
For years now, Crawford has asked to face some of the bigger names in the welterweight division including Manny Pacquiao, Danny Garcia, Keith Thurman and of course, Errol Spence Jr. Crawford though, has settled for the likes of Jeff Horn, Jose Benavidez and most recently, Kell Brook.
More than any of those matchups, fans have been begging for a showdown between Spence Jr. and Crawford. Yet, with the unified titlist currently associated with Premier Boxing Champions and Al Haymon, the road to their contest has been an arduous one. With that being said, Arum is still willing to put up a significant amount of money in order to make the contest happen. And although he has always believed that Crawford is the best fighter in the world, if his promotional rival in Al Haymon decided to snatch Crawford away from it, then he would have absolutely no problem with that.
“If we did this fight with Spence and put our money in for half of the risk, and Crawford wins and Haymon wants to sign him be my guest for Christ’s sake! I don’t have to make a lot of money with him on this (Spence fight). I know I’ll break even or make a couple dollars. In other words, I am not going to go in my pocket anymore for Terence Crawford. I’m no longer in the business of losing money on Terence Crawford.”
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Terence Crawford: “I want Pacquiao, Everything was already 95 percent done”
By: Hans Themistode
WBO welterweight star Terence Crawford has never been one to call out fighters. He’s simply been content with fighting the best out there no matter who it is. Yet, following a fourth round win over former welterweight belt holder Kell Brook, Crawford kept his answer short and sweet when asked who he wants to go after next.
“I want Pacquiao,” said Crawford following his victory.
Crawford, 33, has been linked to a possible showdown with Pacquiao for years now. But most of the boxing world has pushed for him to face off with unified champion Errol Spence Jr. While a matchup with the aforementioned Spence Jr. is something that he would take in a heartbeat, Pacquiao (62-7, 39 KOs) is at the top of his list.
“Yeah, of course,” said Crawford when asked if he wants to face Pacquiao more than Spence Jr. “I want Pacquiao.”
Facing off with the 41-year-old WBA welterweight titlist was apparently just within the former three division champions reach. Just before COVID-19 made its unwanted presence felt, Crawford (37-0, 28 KOs) revealed that both his team and team Pacquiao were on the verge of finalizing a deal for a contest that would take place in the Middle East this year. However, with such a big event, the mere thought of having it inside of an empty arena was unsatisfactory which led to the deal falling apart.
Unfortunately for Crawford, COVID-19 is not only still running rampant, but thriving. Spikes in various parts of the world have been reported as there doesn’t appear to be a reprieve in sight. Still, if there is any possibility at all to return back to the negotiating table, Crawford is all in.
“I want to revisit that fight,” explained Crawford. “It’s a fight that should have happened right now but because of the pandemic, they weren’t going to allow fans in the middle eastern so we had to put a halt to that. Everything was already 95 percent done. We had the venue and the money was almost there but not quite there. That was the only thing we were waiting on but the only thing that messed up the fight was the fans.”
For years now, several notable names have expressed a concern in a possible matchup between the two. The soon to be 42 year old Pacquiao has been boxing for a quarter century. Former promoter of Pacquiao and the current promoter of Crawford were amongst those waving the stop sign in front of a possible matchup between the pair.
“He doesn’t want to fight Crawford,” said Arum to FightHype during an interview last year. “He didn’t want to fight Crawford when I was promoting him. There’s no disgrace in Pacquiao not fighting Crawford. Pacquiao is not competitive with Crawford. He’s a great fighter still, but he’s not competitive.”
Despite his trepidation for Pacquiao, Arum seemed more willing to help push that fight over the finish line as recently as this year. For Crawford, he doesn’t view Pacquiao as someone who would avoid him. With 25 years as a professional boxer coupled with eight division world titles, the future first ballot hall of famer has never shied away from a challenge. Even at the age of 41, Pacquiao has shown that there is still plenty left in the tank.
“Manny is a true champion. He’s never shied away from any challenge at any time. He’s fighting young lions and beat two of them in Broner and Keith Thurman.”
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Bob Arum: “Spence And Garcia Are Fighting December 5th, Terence Crawford Beats Both Of Them The Same Night”
By: Hans Themistode
Unified welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr. and former two division world titlist Danny Garcia are currently hard at work as they prepare for their December 5th clash. Yet, no matter how hard they work on their craft, according to promoter Bob Arum, neither of them will ever be able to compete with WBO belt holder Terence Crawford.
After witnessing his welterweight star adjust to a game Kell Brook in the early goings last night, before dropping and stopping him in the fourth round of their ESPN main event, Arum’s belief in Crawford has skyrocketed. So much so that even if the 88-year-old promoter stacked the deck against his man, he still doesn’t see him losing.
“Let me tell you something and I mean this,” said Arum following Crawford’s victory. “Spence and Garcia are fighting December 5th. If they really want to make a big Pay-Per-View, I’ll put Terence Crawford in with both of them one at a time and he’d beat both of them the same night. He is far and away the best welterweight in the world.”
Since making the move to 147 pounds in mid 2018, the 33-year-old Crawford (37-0, 28 KOs) has proven that size is no issue at all, having stopped every welterweight he has faced thus far. When discussing Crawford’s ability, Arum gushes over his smooth transition from southpaw to orthodox, his ring IQ, speed and of course–power.
The combination of skill and grit not only makes Crawford the best fighter in the welterweight division in Arum’s book, but the long time promoter is also under the impression that his skillset would match up with anyone’s across boxing history.
“He goes back to the great welterweights like Ray Leonard and Tommy Hearns. He would be competitive with them. The welterweights around now are not competitive with Terence Crawford.”
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Bob Arum Responds To Deontay Wilder’s Cheating Claim: “He’s Mimicking Donald Trump, In Other Words, He’s Lying”
By: Hans Themistode
Since suffering a brutal loss in his last ring appearance at the hands of Tyson Fury, the normally loquacious Deontay Wilder had been uncharacteristically quiet.
That however, changed when the former WBC heavyweight titlist dropped a bombshell on the boxing world. During a video that was posted on Wilder’s social media accounts, the Alabama native stood before a camera in a dark room and began castigating Fury, his former co trainer Mark Breland and referee Kenny Bayless.
On the night in question, Wilder was thoroughly beaten down by Fury. He found himself on the canvas on several occasions which ultimately led to his stoppage defeat in the seventh round. After hearing Wilder’s claims, 88 year old Bob Arum believes that it’s absolutely bull shit from top to bottom.
“We haven’t heard a lot from Wilder so he’s been watching television. All I can say about his Instagram post is that he’s mimicking Donald Trump. In other words, he’s lying and come up with conspiracy theories, other than putting the blame on yourself.”
Arum, of course, had first row seats to witness his British heavyweight titlist dish out the beating of a lifetime to Wilder on February 22nd at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. At no point did Wilder appear to be fully in the contest. Fury came out aggressive in the opening rounds. The results came in the form of two knockdowns in the third and fifth rounds. As Wilder’s team sat back and watched their man take big shot after big shot, assistant trainer and former welterweight champion Mark Breland couldn’t stomach it any longer and threw in the white towel.
Noticing his defeat enraged Wilder to no end and the Alabama product finally split ways with him due to his decision. Arum seemed to take extreme offense to Wilder when he began bad mouthing both his now ex trainer and the referee in charge.
Instead of admonishing them, Arum believes the former champ should be singing their praises.
“For him to castigate Kenny Bayless the referee and Mark Breland, his chief cornerman is disgraceful,” said Arum during an interview with IFL TV. “They acted properly and saved Wilder’s life. He was completely out of it and was getting thrashed by Tyson Fury.”
Other than pointing a blaming finger in the direction of his corner, Wilder turned his attention to Fury. The surly knockout artist ranted on about the damage in which he was able to inflict which included the swelling of his face and perforating his eardrums. Wilder (42-1-1, 41 KOs) showed numerous videos which he believes proves that Fury did in fact have an illegal object on the inside of his gloves.
An already irritated Arum shook his head at those claims as well.
“To talk about the gloves the way he did was disgraceful. You have to understand the situation with the gloves in the state of Nevada where the fight took place. The day before the fight at the weigh-ins the gloves are presented to the commission who inspects the gloves.
“Each side then examines the gloves and each fighter picks a pair of gloves that they are going to use in the fight. They also choose a second pair in case something happens to the gloves in the fight that they can use. Then the gloves are secured by the commission and they are kept in a safe place so that no one can tamper with them. On the night of the fight, a commission brings the gloves that each fighter has signed their names on to the respective fighter who has already put on their approved hand wraps. Then, the gloves are put on in the presence of the inspector who bought the gloves and the inspector who is assigned to the room. Nobody, nobody can tamper with the gloves.”
While the long time promoter, continues to fire back at every single one of Wilder’s claims, he believes the recently turned 35 year old simply can’t come to grips with how badly he was beaten on the night.
“What he has done is taken something out of a movie,” explained Arum. “That probably used to happen maybe in the 30s and 40s and he’s using that as a conspiracy to explain how he got so decisively beaten by Tyson Fury. What Wilder said is a sham. It’s a Donald Trump kind of sham.”
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Vasiliy Lomachenko On Teofimo Lopez: “I Want To Really Beat Him Badly, They Act Like They’re A Big Superstar, But They’re Not”
By: Hans Themistode
He’s been called a bitch, a piece of shit and every other derogatory word in the English dictionary. Yet, throughout every single curse word that has been thrown his way, unified lightweight champion Vasiliy Lomachenko has managed to remain calm.
His opponent in IBF belt holder Teofimo Lopez has made his disdain for the Ukrainian as clear as possible. In a recent interview with ESPN, the Brooklyn native was asked how he feels about his dance partner this upcoming weekend. Words at this point were of no use to Lopez, so instead, the pugnacious knockout artist spat on the floor as a description for his opponent.
For Lomachenko, trash talking has never been his style. Opponents have attempted to draw out a reaction from the 32 year old, only to be greeted by a smiling face with his hands behind his back.
Lomachenko has always viewed his matchup with Lopez as just another business venture and checkmark on his road to becoming undisputed. With that being said, the multiple division champion wants to do some serious damage to his opponent.
“I want to beat him very badly, very, very badly,” said Lomachenko to The Ring magazine. “I want to really beat him badly. (Lopez’s father) thinks (Lopez is) a big superstar like Tyson Fury. That’s why they do the trash talk. They act like they’re a big superstar, but they’re not.”
The sport of boxing has seen opponents dish out a beating of a lifetime to one another and not feel any ill-will afterward. The build up of animosity brings in a proliferation of viewers and fattens the wallets of everyone involved.
But when it comes to Lomachenko’s true feelings towards his opponent, absolutely nothing is manufactured.
“What do you think? Of course I don’t like them. They’ve been talking bad things about me which is not real things, not reality. So, of course, I’m going to not like them because they’re talking too much about me.”
Although Lomachenko hasn’t appeared to be rattled, he has been visibly irritated by the nonstop smack talk that is taking place from both his opponent and his father. Regardless of that, promoter Bob Arum has been up close and personal during the Ukrainian products closed door training camp and came away believing he’s as locked in as ever.
“Nobody has trash talked him before,” said Arum. “You look at all the other opponents, they were guys who were confident, not confident, guys who were respectful and this is the first opponent that he’s had who has done the trash talking, so he wouldn’t be normal if he didn’t react. But let me tell you something – I visited him (recently in camp). I spent quite some time with him, watched him train. I mean he is dedicated. He is serious. I mean, he is a machine. But, again, I would have said that about all of his fights. Lopez has been trash talking, so this is something that hasn’t been done to Lomachenko, so obviously, there’s a reaction. He’s just responding to the trash talk.”
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Bob Arum On Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua: “We’re All Set With That”
By: Hans Themistode
Tyson Fury had his list of fighters all lined up. Later on this year the current WBC and Ring magazine heavyweight belt holder would have his trilogy fight with former titlist Deontay Wilder, and should he win, would move on to a mega showdown with unified champion Anthony Joshua.
Yet, with Wilder’s team reportedly playing around with the date, Fury has decided to move on all together. Since Wilder’s mandated rematch clause expired, Fury is free to do whatever he wants.
At the moment, the British native is tired of coming halfway across the world in order to fight. So instead, he has chosen to have a homecoming bout in the United Kingdom on December 5th. His opponent hasn’t yet been finalized, but promoter Bob Arum is currently digging through a list of top contenders.
“Well it has to be a fighter rated in the top 15 of the WBC,” said Arum to Boxing Social. “We’ve examined the list and there are maybe five fighters that would be available and would make good fights. Hopefully this week we’ll be able to select a fighter from the available fighters.”
According to Boxing Social, although nothing is official as of yet, the list of names that Arum is currently sifting through includes Oscar Rivas, Agit Kabayel, Charles Martin, Michael Hunter and Efe Ajagba.
Whoever is chosen from that crop of heavyweights will be viewed as a prohibited underdog against Fury on December 5th. With so much on the line, most notably a mega showdown with fellow unified champion Anthony Joshua, Fury can’t afford to slip up now.
In terms of hammering out a deal between both sides, a few things have to take place beforehand.
For starters, as previously mentioned, Fury must get past his December 5th opponent. One week after he makes his title defense, Joshua, ironically enough, will defend his titles on December 12th. His opponent on the night will be former title challenger Kubrat Pulev who is currently riding an eight fight win streak.
Should an upset occur in either of their precursor contests, then their matchup will go by the wayside. However, both fighters are expected to walk through their respective opponents and meet sometime in the Spring of 2021.
Long negotiations and dragged out demands won’t be an issue between the sides. Arum believes the finish line is in sight. Both champions simply need to take care of business in the month of December.
“We’re all set with that. It’s a 50/50 deal, we’ll iron out details. Let the two guys have their fights in December. Tyson against whomever he fights on December 5th and Joshua against Pulev on December 12th. They both win and within three hours we can finalize any details that are outstanding. It’s not outstanding.”
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Bob Arum: “Lomachenko Technically Is The Best Fighter I’ve Seen Since Early Ali”
By: Hans Themistode
At one point in time, comparing anyone to the late great Muhammad Ali was a laughable and offensive subject.
Promoter Bob Arum has spent the better part of half a century promoting some of the best fighters that have ever lived. But Ali was always in a class by himself.
After watching multiple division titlist Vasiliy Lomachenko over the years however, Arum is ready to place his name in Ali’s category.
“When Ali was in his prime, before the three and a half years when he couldn’t fight, he was a tremendous technical fighter,” said Arum on Loma Official TV on YouTube. “He had a control over distance and how to move in the ring that no one had ever seen before. Lomachenko has those sort of skills and more. Lomachenko technically is the best fighter I’ve seen since that early Ali.”
The near 400 wins as an amateur, back to back Olympic gold medals and multiple world titles as a pro have impressed Arum over the years. The 88 year old promoter gives Lomachenko credit for being so accomplished in his career. But it isn’t the funky angles which he employs in the ring, nor is it his hand speed that deserves most of the credit. Although all of the above has helped him become a three division world champion in only 15 fights, Arum believes Lomachenko’s biggest weapon comes from the man standing in his corner.
“He is blessed with one weapon that no one in the world has and that’s his trainer and father Anatoly. In my opinion, he is the best trainer in the world.”
At the moment, Lomachenko has no time to soak in the compliments from Arum. The 32 year old is currently putting on the finishing touches of his training camp for his highly anticipated showdown with fellow lightweight champion Teofimo Lopez this Saturday night.
Their contest is expected to bring in a ton of viewers on ESPN as every lightweight world title will be on the line.
Arum, the promoter for both fighters, finds it extremely difficult to make a prediction. So while he won’t choose sides, he does expect a great fight. Unlike a certain other former fighter Arum promoted, the 88 year old believes his killer instinct separates Lomachenko from the pack.
“He doesn’t want an easy fight or to win a decision, he wants to win by destroying his opponent. Mayweather was a great defensive fighter. But unlike Mayweather, Loma is always looking for a way to destroy his opponents. That’s what makes him a fan-friendly fighter.”
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Bob Arum On Fury vs Wilder 3: “We’re Optimistic That We’ll Be Able To Do The Event In Nevada, In Las Vegas”
By: Hans Themistode
It’s been difficult to associate anything superlative with this year.
From no fans allowed inside of arenas, to boxers such as Manny Pacquiao and Mikey Garcia doubtful to make an appearance this year, things have been rough for boxing fans.
Before COVID-19 wrapped it’s disease-ridden hands around the world’s once healthy shoulders, a third matchup between current WBC and lineal heavyweight champion Tyson Fury and former belt holder Deontay Wilder led the way in terms of the most anticipated matchup left on the schedule.
Yet, with no fans in attendance, it appeared that both big men were either going to have to sit out the remainder of the year, or be satisfied with the sound of their fist cracking each other in the head as background noise.
Now however, it appears neither option will be necessary.
“We’re optimistic that we’ll be able to do the event in Nevada, in Las Vegas,” said Arum to ESPN.
With roughly half a century worth of experience, Arum has adjusted his business model on more than one occasion. Some of his top current stars such as WBO welterweight titlist Terence Crawford and unified champ Vasiliy Lomachenko have not only agreed to fighting in an empty arena, but also a reduction in purse. Despite that, when it comes to one of the biggest trilogy contests in heavyweight history, Arum believes that having both men slug it out in an empty arena would do it no justice.
With that being said, Arum is no doctor. But he has done his due diligence in order to bring fans inside of the venue come fight night.
“That’s what we’re moving ahead on, on all fronts, with the security, with the virus, and everything.”
With Arum making the MGM Grand Conference Center in Las Vegas, Nevada the host for most of his events, it comes as no surprise that the 88 year old has turned in their direction to host Wilder vs Fury 3. Only, it won’t be the MGM Grand Conference Center but the newly built Allegiant Stadium which holds just north of 70,000 people.
Arum’s target date would be roughly a week before Christmas on December 19th. And although things aren’t set in stone just yet, the long time promoter is putting all of the pieces into place.
“We’re talking with everybody here in town, and with the Raiders.”
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Eddie Hearn Admits Terence Crawford vs Kell Brook Talks Underway: “We’re Trying To Make That Fight Happen”
By: Hans Themistode
After months of hearing his name associated with the likes of Shawn Porter, Keith Thurman and even Gary Russell Jr–Terence Crawford is heading in another direction entirely.
The WBO welterweight titlist is on a collision course with former belt holder Kell Brook. Their clash is far from a reality, but according to promoter Eddie Hearn, everything is pointing in the right direction.
“I had a couple of conversations with Bob and Carl Moretti yesterday,” said Hearn on IFL TV. “I feel that’s a big fight for UK TV, so we’re trying to help out and get that over the line. Personally, I would love to see Kell get that fight.”
Before COVID-19 turned the boxing landscape upside down, Brook was amongst Arum’s possible opponents for his welterweight titlist. Although, the long time promoter ranked it his least favorite amongst the remaining options on the table
“There are a number of possibilities,” said Arum to talkSPORT two months ago. “Thurman, Porter or this kid Ugas, the Cuban who’s a good, good welterweight. They’re with Al [Haymon’s] company PBC. But we’re working well together with that company, so I don’t think that’ll be a problem. And then finally there’s Kell Brook. So the first possibility is Pacquiao, if that’s possible. Second possibility is a fight against one of Al’s guys. And the third possibility is Kell Brook.”
For Crawford, his name has appeared in the headlines even more than usual as of late.
Current 126 pound WBC champion Gary Russell Jr. kicked things off. The Maryland native recently revealed that he broke the jaw of Crawford at the Olympic center several years ago during a heated argument. The former three division titlist quickly went online to dismiss Russell Jr’s claims and threatened to “break his neck.”
Those threats fell on deaf ears as Russell Jr. offered to move up four weight divisions to face Crawford. Most recently, the long standing champion claimed that an offer was sent out to Crawford for a showdown later this year but a response was never sent back.
As they continued to go back and forth, Crawford quickly found himself feuding with another former champion, but someone his own size in Keith Thurman.
“You never got respect in the game at 147,” said Thurman to Brian Custer on the Last Stand podcast recently. “You haven’t pushed the buttons at 147.”
With the two sides continuing to bark at one another, Arum nixed any possibilities of the two squaring off in the ring, claiming that Thurman wanted mind numbing money. Numerous reports were that the former champion’s number was in the 10 million dollar range.
Now, with Thurman off the table and Manny Pacquiao currently eyeing other opponents, Arum appears to be settling for his least desired option. News that brings a smile to the face of Hearn. But before an agreement surfaces, Hearn has made it clear that Arum will have to dig deep in those heavily funded pockets of his.
“I think [Top Rank] had a conversation with Keith Thurman, and obviously they wanted too much money. It’s difficult at the moment … Crawford wants a lot of money, and Kell wants a lot of money. He deserves it. We’re trying to make that fight happen to assist Top Rank in getting the numbers together.”
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Bob Arum Sticks It To Dillian Whyte: “Povetkin’s Uppercut, Knocked Him Cold On His Ass
By: Hans Themistode
Promoter Bob Arum apparently has no problem kicking a man while he’s down.
Top Rank’s CEO sat back in his palatial estate, kicked his feet up and watched a Saturday night filled with boxing. His promotional company had a headliner of light heavyweight contenders in Joe Smith Jr. and Eleider Alvarez. Premier Boxing Champions also had a slot which featured former welterweight champion Shawn Porter and the unheralded Sebastian Formella.
But before either of those shows came on, heavyweight contenders Dillian Whyte and Alexander Povetkin clashed on the other side of the world in a world title eliminator.
Their contest went according to what most envisioned in the early goings. Whyte floored his man twice in the fourth and seemed to be on his way to a stopped victory. Then, out of nowhere, the dramatic theater of boxing struck as Povetkin knocked Whyte clean out in the fifth round.
There were some that felt bad for Whyte as he occupied WBC’s number one ranking for several years. Arum on the other hand, was not amongst them and piled onto the heavyweight contenders’ misery.
“Dillian Whyte was so busy fighting for his WBC mandatory position that he didn’t see Povetkin’s uppercut, which knocked him cold on his ass,” said Arum on his Twitter account.
Following a 2015 loss to current unified champion Anthony Joshua, Whyte, 32, went on a 11 fight win streak. But even with the victories piling up against former champions and current contenders, Whyte couldn’t sniff a crack at a world title.
Every chance he got, the British native called out the WBC sanctioning body for making him wait. Whether it was a rematch with Joshua or a shot against Tyson Fury, Whyte simply wanted his shot. Now, he’ll be forced to wait even longer as he has stated that he will pursue an immediate rematch with Povetkin.
Should he reverse the outcome the second time around, Whyte could have his long awaited rematch with Joshua. However, there won’t be any titles on the line. At least according to Arum.
At the moment, the long time promoter has his heavyweight in Kubrat Pulev sitting in the mandatory IBF position to face Joshua next. Their matchup is set to take place at the back end of 2020, although there has been multiple delays.
When the green light is given for Pulev and Joshua to step into the ring against one another, Arum is expecting the British empire that is Whyte and Joshua, to continue to crumble.
“Pulev will KO Joshua next,” said Arum. “London Bridges are falling.”
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Bob Arum Praises Vasiliy Lomachenko During Teofimo Lopez Fight Negotiations: “He Voluntarily Reduced His Own Purse in Order To Get The Fight Done”
By: Hans Themistode
It was on, off, on, off and now seemingly back on.
It’s been a rollercoaster ride for promoter Bob Arum as he continues to negotiate terms for a lightweight contest between unified champion Vasiliy Lomachenko and IBF belt holder Teofimo Lopez.
The Ukrainian born Lomachenko would always have an extraneous look on his face whenever Lopez was mentioned. “Beat a real fighter,” “Win a belt,” were the guidelines that Lomachenko (14-1, 10 KOs) handed out to the Brooklyn native to score a matchup with him.
With a second round knockout win over former belt holder Richard Commey, Lopez (15-0, 12 KOs) placed a check mark on his road to Lomachenko to do list.
Now, with a title wrapped around his waist, Lopez vs Lomachenko was essentially a done deal. However, those plans were scrapped once COVID-19 made it’s unwanted presence known. Still, even with no signs of slowing the virus down, Arum placed safety protocols in place that would allow their contest to take place.
With the finish line in sight, another issue has emerged as Lopez began to make noise of there not being enough zero’s at the end of his check. Now, with their contest seemingly down the drain, Lomachenko has stepped in to push things forward.
“He is voluntarily under these circumstances reduced his own purse in order to get the fight done,” said Arum on the Ak and Barak show on Sirius XM.
According to multiple reports, the total amount of money that will be shared by both Lopez and Lomachenko was initially 4.7 million. Of that amount, Lomachenko was offered 3.5, leaving Lopez with roughly 1.2. Although it is unclear how much more Lopez was hoping to pocket for what would be the most difficult bout of his career, Arum, under normal circumstances, would be willing to dig his hands a bit deeper into his pockets to acquiesce his young star. But with this global pandemic preventing fans from entering arenas, much of the total revenue has taken a major hit. Something that Arum not only realizes, but now he believes Lopez understands where he is coming from as well.
“I think Teofimo is beginning to realize that his aspirations as far as how much his purse should be was based on selling tickets to an arena, to as much as two and a half or three million dollars. Plus the closed-circuit – another million dollars. “Those revenue streams are gone. But that doesn’t mean that he shouldn’t get a big purse. And he is getting a big purse. “But you obviously can’t pay the man what you would be able to otherwise if you had a gate and closed-circuit revenue. It’s as simple as that. With that being said, knowing Teofimo and knowing what a good young man he is, we will conclude (a deal) with him shortly.”
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Teofimo Lopez vs Vasiliy Lomachenko In Jeopardy Due To Money Demands
By: Hans Themistode
IBF Lightweight titlist Teofimo Lopez is screaming “show me the money” for his highly anticipated unification contest against unified champion Vasiliy Lomachenko.
It was first reported by Mike Coppinger of The Athletic that Lopez was offered 1.2 million for the October showdown. But with the most difficult and noteworthy fight of his career staring him square in the face, Lopez has come back to the negotiating table with his hands out asking for more.
For promoter Bob Arum, money has never been an issue. But with COVID-19 compromising his bottom line, Arum has opened up his wallet to reveal that only flies reside inside.
“We explained to them we have no gate [revenue], no closed-circuit [revenue],” Arum told ESPN.com. “I mean, we’re willing to pay him a big price. But again, I’m not going to lose millions of dollars on an event because he thinks he’s worth more.”
Lopez has left much of the negotiations in the hands of his manager David McWater. Now, there is an acrimonious feeling surrounding both parties as arguably Arum’s biggest fight left on his COVID-19 ravished calendar hangs on by a mere thread. That aforementioned thread of course, can be reinforced with the help of a few more dollars. McWaters is aware that asking for more money during a global pandemic is a bit tricky and was willing to work out a Top Rank friendly deal to satisfy both sides. But the current offer on the table is an absolute nonstarter.
“Everybody is trying to do the right thing,” McWater told ESPN.com. “But there doesn’t seem to be enough money for everybody. We were willing to take a hair cut from what was expected before, but not one of the magnitude presented to us.”
The hourglass on a Lopez vs Lomachenko showdown is quickly winding down. Not only is Arum currently at odds with his young star, but Lopez has also gone on the record stating how difficult it is for him to make the 135 pound limit. A fight with Lomachenko was viewed as his last at the weight.
Moving up to 140 pounds is a strong possibility for the Brooklyn born native, but according to McWaters, he could stick around a bit longer. However, that doesn’t mean that McWaters and Lopez are acquiescing to their money demands in any way shape or form.
“I think more likely we would take another fight at 135 and revisit [the Lomachenko fight]. To me, a lot of this has to do with ESPN. If they want the fight, I think they should find a way to make it work for Top Rank. Bob’s right, Top Rank shouldn’t have to lose money on this – but neither should Teofimo. The big winner here would be ESPN. I feel it should be incumbent on them to find a way to make this happen.”
