Lomachengko is the latest hot find of Top Rank who has the potential of becoming a pay-per-view attraction because of his active and aggressive fighting style. There are similarities in the way Lomachenko and Pacquiao behave in the ring. Both of them are southpaws and with awesome power in their left hand. They are likewise noted for their hand and foot speed.
Arum has been grooming Terence Crawford to take over from where Pacquiao left as Top Rank’s top pay-per-view (PPV) attraction, but it seems Crawford has not reached his peak.
While Lomachenko has fought just seven professional fights, his long exposure in amateur boxing is unbeatable, having won gold medals in the 2008 and 2012 Olympics, not to mention the numerous gold medals in the world amateur championship games.
Arum is confident Lomachenko would live up to his expectations which is for the 28-year-old Ukrainian fighter to follow Pacquiao’s footsteps as one of the world’s top PPV attractions.
“I’ve been telling everybody how great this guy is. You’ve been reading how great this guy is,” Arum said. “Muhammad Ali, the greatest of all time. This Vasyl Lomachenko (is) the greatest of our time. He really is. I mean you’re going to see performances from this guy that you’re not going to believe down the road. He’ll fight anybody.
“It’s going to cost us a lot of money to get people in the ring with him. But he is going to beat anybody around.”
Arum wants Lomachenko to avenge his lone loss to Orlando Salido in his second pro fight in 2014 at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.
“I’ll pay good money,” said Arum as his way of enticing Salido into an immediate rematch.
Other opponents that Arum had in mind include Francisco Vargas, who remains unbeaten after getting a majority decision against Salido last April and Nicholas Walters, who handed Arum’s top fighter Nonito Donaire his most devastating defeat in 2014.
Meanwhile, Terence Crawford is set to face Viktor Postol on July 23 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. This fight could enable Arum to decide who between Crawford and Lomachenko deserve more support in his effort to find a new cash cow for Top Rank.
Roman Martinez vs. Vasyl Lomachenko: HBO Boxing After Dark Highlights June 15, 2016
