Bob Arum On A Possible Fight Between Vasiliy Lomachenko And Shakur Stevenson: “I Would Pay All Kinds Of Money To Watch”
Shakur Stevenson will invade the 135 pound division on April 8, when he will take on tough Japanese warrior Shuichiro Yoshino, 16-0(12) in front of his hometown fans. After that, well, providing he wins, it shouldn’t be too long before the gifted southpaw gets himself a world title opportunity at lightweight. And Bob Arum has a potential classic in mind.
Speaking with iD Boxing, the Top Rank boss said his plan is to match a victorious Stevenson, currently 19-0(9), with the winner of the (not yet signed but anticipated for May 20) fight between unified lightweight champ Devin Haney, 29-0(15) and former champion Vasiliy Lomachenko, 17-2(11). However, Arum feels the big-for-the-weight Haney will likely make the move to 140 pounds after the Loma fight, and that he would vacate the belts, with this scenario allowing Stevenson to fight for a vacated belt.
But if Lomachenko beats Haney, Arum says a fight between Loma and Stevenson is “a fight that I would pay all kinds of money to watch.” And we fans would certainly be on board as far as getting excited about this match up becoming reality.
Arum sees a huge future for Stevenson, who has already made his mark on the sport, whichever scenario unfolds for him.
“The plan is for [Stevenson] to fight the Haney-Loma winner,” Arum said. “If Haney wins, he’s talking about going to 140 so that makes it a vacant title for Shakur. But if Loma wins, then Loma and Shakur is a fight that I would pay all kinds of money to watch. That’s really an unbelievable fight. Two real great students and artists in the game of boxing.”
Arum really has retained his passion and enthusiasm for the sport he has been working in since way back in the 1960s, and it’s possible fights like Lomachenko-Stevenson that keep Arum going the way he does. For us fans, we have, potentially, two modern day classics to look forward to, in Haney-Loma, and then Loma-Stevenson. Who wins in May? And if it is Lomachenko, who wins if “The Matrix” is the next puzzle (after the Yoshino fight) that is put before Stevenson?
Great times for the lightweight division. And the best fighting the best, the way it’s supposed to be.
