Promoter Bob Arum has confirmed that his fighter, IBF lightweight champion Vasily Lomachenko, wants the fight against Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis for later this year.
Arum says he hasn’t spoken to Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs), but he said he talked to his manager Egis Klimas, who says Loma wants to face Tank Davis next.
A Long-Awaited Fight
After Lomachenko’s last fight against George Kambosos Jr. in May, there was talk that he might retire. That’s not the case. Arum says Top Rank will meet with Tank’s management this Friday to continue negotiating the fight.
Lomachenko wants the unification fight against WBA ‘regular’ lightweight champion Tank (30-0, 28 KOs), and the two could meet in November if their management can put together a deal that they’re both satisfied with.
Lomachenko has wanted this fight since 2017, but Tank’s promoters during those years weren’t interested in making the match for obvious reasons.
Tank wasn’t fighting anyone that the fans wanted him to, as he was protected to keep him from losing. Now that he’s getting older and becoming more assertive about his career, he’s ready to start fighting better opposition.
He still hasn’t started doing that yet, but hopefully, with this fight against Lomachenko, he’ll turn over a new leaf and start taking risks.
Negotiating the Deal
“Our people at Top Rank are meeting with their people this week, probably on Friday, and hopefully, we can hammer out a deal so we can do that fight before the end of the year,” said promoter Bob Arum to Sean Zittel, talking about the Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis vs. Vasily Lomachenko lightweight unification fight.
“I know that Tank wants that fight, and Loma wants that fight. So, now it’s a question of agreeing on terms. No, I haven’t spoken to him, but I’ve spoken to Egis Klimas, his manager, who lives in California. Egis said he spoke to Loma and got the go-ahead,” said Arum about Lomachenko being in favor of fighting Tank Davis next.
“I don’t think age matters. The question is, Tank, with his power, can that match the skillset of Lomachenko? That’s what makes it a fascinating fight. Tank doesn’t have anywhere near the skills of Lomachenko, but Lomachenko doesn’t have anywhere near the power that Tank does.
“That’s why you do those fights. I think he’s a very competent fighter, and he’s clearly very powerful,” said Arum about Tank Davis. “He may be the hardest puncher I’ve seen in the lightweight division for a long time, maybe since [Roberto] Duran.
“No, we’re not sending anybody over to anybody,” said Arum when asked if he was going to do a joint broadcast or send Lomachenko over to Amazon for the Tank fight. “That will be hashed out between the sides as always.
“The people will be dealing with Luis DeCubas. We’ll put together a deal that both sides can live with. What that will look like is part of the negotiations.
“When both participants, the ones that do the fighting, when they want it, the chances of it happening are much greater than when one fighter is reluctant, and one fighter wants it. Here, both fighters want it, and if both fighters want it, the suits meet and have an obligation to put it together. So, yeah, I’m bullish,” said Arum.
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