Lomachenko vs Russell Jr purse bid pits Top Rank against Golden Boy once again

Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer still isn't exactly keen on working with Top Rank's Bob Arum, but Schaefer does intend to bid on a potential fight between his guy, Gary Russell Jr, and Top Rank's Vasyl Lomachenko, with the purse bid ordered for Friday.

He hasn't revealed his strategy, but surely he'll be in it to win it:

"What, you want me to tell you how much I'm going to bid? Well, we'll see. We'll see what's going to happen. Ask me tomorrow. I'm holding my cards. If you win a purse bid, then you do a fight. You work with the other guy. You win a purse bid, and that's all that it is."

Russell and Lomachenko would be fighting for the WBO featherweight title, if the fight actually does come together. Someone will win the bid, but that won't automatically make the fight happen. This could still wind up a no-go, even though neither Russell nor Lomachenko have much of a better option out there. The boxing landscape being what it is, we'll see what happens. Until then, don't hold your breath on this fight.

The last time this situation came up, Top Rank won the rights to a fight between Vanes Martirosyan and Erislandy Lara, and did put on the fight. That is to say, Golden Boy and Al Haymon were willing to let that fight happen under the Top Rank banner, but we don't know if it would go the other way, should Golden Boy win the rights. Again, we'll see.