At the moment there appear to be conflicting reports as to whether or not negotiations are taking place for a possible Sergio Martinez-Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. fight in the fall.
On March 17th, Salvador Rodriguez of BoxingScene.com reported that such a fight was being explored for September 15th in Las Vegas. That drew bushels of hope from people in the industry but the enthusiasm dampened a bit when the WBC released a statement showing their belief that Lou Dibella, Martinez?s promoter, and Top Rank, co-promoter of Chavez, had stopped negotiating with one another.
The WBC threatened both sides, stating that Chavez could lose his title while Martinez would forfeit his mandatory position if either party refused to negotiate and reach a deal by April 9th.
Earlier today, Dibella reached out to Rick Reeno of BoxingScene.com to dispute the WBC?s claim, noting that he and Arum are presently in the middle of negotiations for a possible Martinez-Chavez bout, one that would likely end up on pay per view.
It?s a situation that is hard to keep up with and there are simply some who question just how sincere Arum is with his efforts towards making such a fight a reality. Speaking to Martinez?s advisor Sampson Lewkowicz about the entire ordeal, I got the sense that his optimism isn?t exactly at a fever pitch.
?Bob Arum never had the will to negotiate anything,? Lewkowicz stated emphatically. ?Everything was false. Bob Arum, whatever he said yesterday, he lied, and today he is telling the truth. He has no interest to make the fight.?
Asked why Arum would even entertain the thought of speaking with Dibella about staging such an event, Lewkowicz feels that it?s all smoke and mirrors.
?He was just playing [with the public]. He?s one of the smartest men in the industry,? said Lewkowicz.
Lewkowicz also seems unsure what the next move would be for his fighter if a meeting with Chavez was to fall through.
?If the WBC doesn?t stand up on its mandate and strip him, then we start talk about who will be the next opponent,? Lewkowicz continued. ?Meanwhile, the next challenge must be whoever owns the WBC title at 160 and that is Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.?
Chavez Jr. seemed to be set to defend his title on June 16th in an HBO showcase taking place in El Paso, Texas, but that scenario also has its share of question marks around it.
Speaking to Ben Thompson of FightHype.com, Chavez Jr. revealed that Top Rank was looking for him to sign a contract extension before proceeding with his next fight, an act that he is strongly opposed to. Junior also added that if the issue wasn?t resolved by mid-April, that he would likely pursue a fight in Mexico as opposed to U.S. soil.
Hearing of Chavez?s protests, Lewkowicz feels that the young champion would be better off without Arum in the picture.
?He?s a very smart man,? said Lewkowicz. ?Because maybe he can make a deal himself and be his own promoter. And maybe he really wants to fight Martinez and the only one who doesn?t want that fight is Bob Arum. Maybe that?s part of the reason.?
