According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, talks have began for a possible showdown between junior lightweight champion Vasyl Lomachenko and Jorge Linares.
“I’ve been talking to Mr. Honda for a month about the possibility of Linares-Lomachenko,” Lomachenko promoter Bob
Arum said. “But I had to wait for Linares to fight on Saturday night and see how things turned out. Well, the kid won. Now we can discuss terms for the fight. I’m waiting to hear back from Honda.
“Knowing Honda, he’ll probably ask for the terms he wants and we’ll work that out, and then he would have me contact Golden Boy for the provision of services contract and to work out the other stuff, like tickets, travel, those details. So far in my conversations with Honda, everything is proceeding nicely, so we’ll see.”
Arum said, according to Honda, it is a fight Linares is very interested in — and the same goes for Lomachenko and his manager, Egis Klimas.
“It’s being worked on for the next fight,” Arum said. “We want to make sure that Linares is OK and ready to go. He had a little cut [against Gesta] and he hurt his hand a little bit, so we need to make sure he’s fine. Depending on how he feels, the fight will be either April 28 or May 12. Linares is a tremendous fighter. He’s a guy with an excellent résumé and a good name.
“I’ve been communicating with Lomachenko through Egis and they are both very enthusiastic to do that fight, as is Lomachenko’s father [trainer Anatoly Lomachenko]. I haven’t talked to Golden Boy yet, but I have talked to Honda and Honda doesn’t mess around. His kid wants the fight and we want the fight.”
“We’re ready,” Linares promoter Oscar De La Hoya said. “Lomachenko versus Linares is the fight to make, so we have to make it. For 2018, our goal is to always make the best fights and that’s actually one of them out of many, so Bob Arum, give me a call.”
De La Hoya reiterated his view on Monday, telling ESPN, “I want Linares to fight Lomachenko next and if Bob Arum is serious about making the fight, then I’ll wait for his offer and see what it is. But that’s the fight we want next for Linares. That’s the fight the fans want to watch and I’m all for it.”
“Golden Boy will not stand in the way of any fight,” De La Hoya said. “For my fighters, I’m going to try to make the most money for them. If Bob Arum is going to come with an offer and I feel I can beat it, he should give me an opportunity to do so whether the fight is on HBO or ESPN. But I want to make the most money for my fighters. We are not going to get in the way of this fight being made.”
