Bob arum on tank davis-vasyl lomachenko matchup: “both fighters want the fight.”

By: Sean Crose

At 92 years of age, Bob Arum is still going strong. Speaking with Fight Hype on a video posted Wednesday, the legendary promoter opened up about his fighter Vasyl Lomachenko fighting PBC fighter Gervonta Davis in the near future. “We know that both fighters want the fight,” said Arum, “so when that happens, then the suits sit down and try to work out the economic terms and put it together, and I’m optimistic that they’ll do that and that the fight will happen, but until it’s signed, you don’t know.”

When asked if network affiliations can ruin potential fights, Arum was surprisingly defensive. “The networks are cooperative,” he said. “You can’t blame the networks if the fight isn’t made. It’s those people who are involved with the fighters who are not being realistic, but I don’t think that’s to be the case (with Lomachenko and Davis). I think that the negotiations will go very well between the sides.”

Arum was also questioned about the belief among some (perhaps many) that a Lomachenko-Davis fight has moved past its “sell by date.” Suffice to say, the veteran matchmaker clearly wasn’t interested in what could have been. “This is the time that can be made,” he said, “and they’re both coming off big victories, so it’s all good. At a particular other time, would the fight have meant more? I don’t know. Maybe, but you can’t look back at that. I mean, we’re at this time now in the career of both guys and its a very interesting, intriguing fight.”

While it’s true that Lomachenko no longer looks as sharp as he did in his heyday, there’s absolutely no denying that the Ukrainian fighter remains a serious threat to Davis, who himself appears to be coming into his own. In other words, Lomachecnko may indeed pull off the upset should the two men end up squaring off in the ring. The bottom line is that a Davis-Lomachenko throwdown would remain a must see affair.

As for Arum, the man has been at the top of the fight game for ages. Successful and controversial, he has continued to prove that he can operate well within the system, even in his tenth decade. While a Davis-Lomachenko match wouldn’t strike anyone as a timeless pairing, it would undoubtedly be viewed as a major showdown, proving that Arum still has what it takes to make major fights happen.

Images: Top Rank