By: Sean Crose
At 92 years old, Bob Arum is still going strong. Talk to fight exaggeration on a video posted Wednesday, the legendary promoter revealed his fighter Vasyl Lomachenko will fight PBC fighter Gervonta Davis in the near future. “We know that both fighters want the fight, so when that happens, the parties will sit down and try to figure out the economic terms and get it together, and I’m lost,” Arum said. They are confident that they will do it and that the war will happen, but until it is signed, you will not know.”
When asked whether network links could derail potential wars, Arum was surprisingly defensive. “The networks are collaborative,” he said. “You can’t blame the network if the fight doesn’t happen. People who get involved with fighters are unrealistic, but I don’t think that’s the case (with Lomachenko and Davis). I think the negotiations between the parties will go very well.”
Arum also questioned the belief held by some (possibly many) that the Lomachenko-Davis fight has passed its “sell by” date. Suffice it to say, the veteran matchmaker clearly doesn’t care what might happen. “This is a doable moment,” he said, “and they’re both winning big, so it’s all good. At another specific time, would the war have made more sense? I do not know. Maybe, but you can’t look back on that. I mean, at this point we’re in both of our careers and it’s a very interesting, exciting fight.”
While it’s true that Lomachenko is no longer as sharp as he was in his prime, there’s absolutely no denying that the Ukrainian fighter still poses a serious threat to Davis, who appears to be slowly coming into his own. In other words, Lomachecnko could really pull off the upset if the two men faced each other in the ring. The bottom line is that the Davis-Lomachenko knockout will still be a must-see.
As for Arum, the man has been at the top of the fighting game for a long time. Successful and controversial, he has continued to prove that he can work within the system, even into his 10th decade. While the Davis-Lomachenko fight won’t strike anyone as a timeless pairing, it will certainly be viewed as a major rivalry, proving that Arum still has what it takes to causing great battles to take place.
Image: Top Ranked
