Unified lightweight champion Teofimo Lopez made it clear last month that he would rather vacate his IBF belt rather than flying to Australia to face George Kambosos Jr. And now, before International Boxing Federation orders the fight, it is targeted to take place in the United States.
After the fight was cancelled on 19th June and was pushed back to 14th August, Video-sharing social network Triller, which won the purse bid for the fight, wanted to move the fight to the Land Down Under as Triller co-founder Ryan Kavanaugh wanted to regain the reported $5 million he lost from postponing the fight.
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Lopez vs Kambosos to remain in the US and Triller must oblige
However, Lopez’s manager David McWater spoke against the idea of hosting the fight in Australia, as he believed it would put his fighter at a disadvantage and a better option would be to just relinquish the IBF belt.
“That’s our major objection: to ask a guy to fly international and cut weight for 14 days while in quarantine. It’s not right,” McWater spoke to ESPN last month, “One guy is at a distinct disadvantage.”
“I don’t think we’ll have to give up the title. I think if they want to move [the fight] that far back the IBF will rule. But fine, if we have to, we’ll give up the title and he can fight [next-available contender] Isaac Cruz somewhere for $70,000 [for the vacant title],” the manager added.
As things stand now, according to ESPN’s report, IBF is ready to order the fight on Monday and against Triller’s wish of shifting it to Australia, the fight must remain in the US and Kavanaugh and his company will have to agree to it.
“We’ve been open to working this out with [Triller] the whole time,” said McWater, “they haven’t shown much interest in it. If that’s the ruling from the IBF, then we’ll abide by it as IBF champion.”
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