After Terence Crawford?s fifth-round decimation of Hank Lundy on Saturday night, Bob Arum is already looking ahead to the next big fight for the undefeated 28-year-old Nebraskan. But between Crawford?s dominance over the junior welterweight division and a crowded welterweight division where the bigger names are trapped underneath the Al Haymon umbrella, Arum is keenly aware that his options are limited.
Which is why it may not be all that surprising that Arum is willing to work with Haymon again for a potential showdown with Adrien Broner.
?Oh I would love Broner,? Arum told reporters after Crawford?s bout with Lundy. ?That is a good fight. I would do that fight in two seconds. I think that would be major ? we?d certainly sell out the Forum [in Inglewood, Calif.].?
The bad blood between Arum and Haymon has been well documented and a $100 million lawsuit Arum filed against Haymon back in July punctuates the point. However, boxing is a business and Arum realizes that Crawford has few options that can bolster his popularity. Facing off against the controversial Broner ? who faces Ashley Theophane on April 1 ? would certainly help enhance his marketability.
?It?s like politics [and] your headline is, ?Arum is willing [to work with Haymon],?? Arum said, but notes that it takes two to tango. ?They should say, ?They?re willing,? and somehow we?ll get together and do it.?
Arum has been more than willing to do whatever it takes to make the best fights possible for his fighters. He?s been quite vocal about taking a potential Vasyl Lomachenko and Viktor Postol doubleheader to rival network Showtime if HBO isn?t willing to bite. He also knows that Crawford needs to face the best opposition possible. Looking at the 140-pound division, Arum has Postal, but has him tied to the aforementioned doubleheader. He?s open to pitting Crawford against Ruslan Provodnikov in June but even that fight doesn?t move the needle like a potential 140-pound clash with Broner.
It also doesn?t help that Arum?s hands are tied with Manny Pacquiao having his last fight against Timothy Bradley ? who said he would never face Crawford ? and the fact that Haymon?s Premier Boxing Champions houses some of the top names at 147 pounds, including Keith Thurman and Shawn Porter. This leaves Arum having to reach across promotional borders to land bigger fights for Crawford.
The reality is, however, that negotiating with Haymon could be a long, uphill battle and Arum would like to get Crawford back into the ring sooner than later.
?We?re going to match [Crawford] as tough as we can,? Arum said. ?And one of the guys who?s a possibility is Provodnikov and we?ll see if he takes the fight and we?ll go from there.?
