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Top Rank promoter Bob Arum says that a deal to finalize the July 19 HBO pay-per-view main event between Julio Cesar Chavez Jr and Gennady Golovkin is "getting close," and that he's looking forward to bring big-time boxing back to The Forum in Inglewood, Calif., the newly-renovated former home of the Los Angeles Lakers and many great fights.
"Well, I'm very excited. You see, one of the advantages of being around this sport so long is, yeah, you get old but you have so many memories and you remember what was important. And I'll never forget this building and how important it was for the sport of boxing. ... We're getting close [on Chavez-Golovkin]. And it means a lot to Chavez to fight in this building because as a boy he remembers his father fighting here."
One key to the negotiation was Team Chavez (and thus Top Rank) agreeing to a $1 million penalty for not making the 168-pound limit for the fight, which is a hurdle that has been cleared.
Arum and Top Rank will "debut" at The Forum on May 17, when Juan Manuel Marquez faces Mike Alvarado in an HBO main event. Tickets for that fight go on sale on April 1.