Top Rank’s Bob Arum has said his fighter Teofimo Lopez’s fight with George Kambosos Jr.
Lopez, the united lightweight champion, is expected to take on his compelling IBF opponent Kambosos after the 27-year-old Australian defeated Lee Selby in October last year.
Lopez made a big splash in the division when he defeated Vasiliy Lomachenko in the same month, claiming IBF, WBC franchise, WBA and WBO titles.
Both America and Kambosos failed to agree a deal that meant the fight would go to a purse strings, despite Lopez having three and a half years left on a contract with Arum.
Speaking to Barbershop Conversations, Arum confirmed that his organization has submitted an application.
“It’s Tuesday, and we submitted our application,” he said.
“We hope to win the bid, and be able to join Teofimo with Kambosos in Madison Square Garden in June if the bid is successful, and hopefully that will happen.
“But we need to be financially responsible and we can only make a claim that makes sense to everyone.
“When we get full operations with viewers, if we get pay-per-view revenue and with a closed circuit, that no one can do, I see us get back to normal. slowly but surely as we enter spring and summer. ”
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Arum suggested that it would be a mistake for competitor, peers and occasional colleagues Eddie Hearn to make a major claim on behalf of Matchroom.
“We have a contract with Teofimo for three and a half years. So if Hearn claims the fight, it’s a real opportunity because Teofimo wins the fight, ”he said.
“So let’s say Eddie puts money into the fight putting Teofimo and Kambosos, this is not a big fight, what he’s doing, because Teofimo will come back to ESPN if Eddie wins the bid purse if Eddie makes claims.
“If Eddie, for example, fought one of his fights under a contract with Matchroom, and we applied, it would be the same.
“It would be a bit silly because we would make the purse claim and we would get the fight, but where would we go from there? You were always thinking about how to build it. ”
Arum even said that fighting with Lopez would not be a big issue.
“Teofimo is not a free agent, so why would Eddie want to start the fight? And it’s not a big fight. We’ll be honest about it, ”he said.
“Kambosos is a good kid and will deliver well, but again, it’s a 25-to-1 fight.
“Our job is to make a program for ESPN and we wouldn’t apply for a purse for one of Eddie’s fights because what are we building?”