Arum confirms Top Rank plans for World Title Vegas fights

A report late Wednesday night says that Bob Arum’s Top Rank Boxing will be at the U.S. forefront of bringing more prominent fights, including World Championship ones, to Las Vegas in the coming weeks and months.

Boxing insider Dan Rafael wrote for Boxingscene.com, that Arum revealed to him plans for numerous fighters/bouts, including the long-awaited, twice postponed, Unified 140 lb. showdown between Jose Luis Ramirez and Viktor Postol,

Plus, he gave more info on a new likely date for the Unified Lightweight title bout between Vasiliy Lomachenko and Teofimo Lopez and also, updated plans for the WBC Heavyweight title fight that the boxing world is most anticipating,

Arum Updates on Taylor-Khongsong, Fury-Wilder, Frampton, Conlan, Ramirez-Postol https://t.co/SMLGI6Y1Xd pic.twitter.com/6fTaqj14Nw

— BoxingScene.com (@boxingscene) July 9, 2020

Arum told Rafael that the Ramirez – Postal fight, which has already been scrapped first in China in February and then on its May rescheduled date due to the Covid-19 outbreak, is now likely on for late August or early September. That bout will be for Ramirez’s WBC and WBO titles in Vegas and possibly, with at least some fans socially distanced.

Arum went on to confirm the Top Rank and MTK Global are looking at a Mid-August card in Belfast, Ireland, that will feature a double header of former Two-division World Champ, Carl Frampton, as well as up-and-coming, unbeaten Featherweight contender Michael Conlan. Arum mentioned the tentative date of Saturday, August 15th, to Boxingscene.

Arum also revealed that the plans are moving forward for Lomachenko-Lopez in Las Vegas and likely, with some fans socially distanced. However, due to the fall schedules tentatively in place for other American team sports, that the date for that fight for Lomachenko’s WBA/WBO and WBC “Franchise” titles vs. Lopez’s IBF belt will now probably be October 3rd.

We have written previously that the highly anticipated Loma-Lopez fight, that was to have been at Madison Square Garden in NY in May was being targeted for September 19th for Vegas. However, it will likely move to two weeks later than the original rescheduled provided that parties agree.

Finally, Arum reiterated that the target month for the much-anticipated WBC Heavyweight Title fight and third showdown between new champ, Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder is still likely for December. And, he further repeated to Rafael that the Las Vegas Raiders’ Allegiant Stadium is the likely location with the date of December 19th.

That’s because the Raiders are scheduled, for now, play a Thursday night NFL home game on December 17th, and then boxing organizers and stadium personnel could have the facility ready for a Saturday night boxing card on the stadium floor with the potential that thousands of fans could attend, socially distanced, in the 70,000 seat stadium.

Finally, Arum also confirmed that his Top Rank Boxing series of shows in their “bubble” at the MGM Grand Resort, which have been going on twice weekly since the beginning of June, will continue into August. However, they will likely reduce to only one fight card per week and the Nevada Athletic Commission confirmed the Thursday dates of August 6, 13, 20 and 27 for them to continue.