Promoter Bob Arum is confident that he will be able to put together a deal for the lightweight unification contest between Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis and Vasily Lomachenko.
Arum feels the networks won’t prevent this match from happening because both fighters want it. Tank (30-0, 28 KOs) and Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) are eager to make this fight happen in November.
Recent Victories Fuel Interest
As Arum points out, both fighters are coming off big wins, and there’s huge interest from the boxing world in seeing them fight. IBF lightweight champion Lomachenko stopped former unified 135-lb champion George Kambosos Jr. in the eleventh round last May in Perth, Australia, and looked rejuvenated after a year-long layoff.
WBA ‘regular’ lightweight champion Tank knocked out Frank Martin in an eighth-round KO) last Saturday night in Las Vegas.
Arum’s Optimism and Realistic Expectations
“I’m optimistic that will happen, but until it’s signed, you don’t know. The networks are cooperative. You can’t blame the networks if a fight isn’t made,” said Bob Arum to Fighthype about wanting to make the match between Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis vs. Vasily Lomachenko.
It’s understandable why the networks wouldn’t mind sharing a fight between Tank and Lomachenko because it’s one that will do well regardless of being a dual situation.
“It’s people involved with the fighters, who are not being realistic, but I don’t think that will be the case. I think the negotiations will go very well between the sides,” Arum continued about the Davis-Lomachenko talks.
It’s the biggest fight that can be made for either guy at 135 by a long shot, as the only alternative is Shakur Stevenson, but he’s shown that he can draw big numbers right now. Arum is interested in Shakur potentially fighting the winner of the Tank vs. Lomachenko fight. However, that would need to be agreed on between Tank’s management if he’s victorious against Loma.
“This is the time that it can be made, and both are 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. We’re at this time in the careers of both guys, and it’s a very interesting, intriguing fight. Both fighters want the fight,” said Arum about the Lomachenko vs. Gervonta clash.
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