Lopez vs Kambosos: Will Eddie Hearn bid against Top Rank on the IBF-ordered fight?

Promoter Eddie Hearn did his weekly interview on the Ak and Barak SiriusXM radio show and got right into the matter of the IBF-ordered Teofimo Lopez vs George Kambosos Jr fight.

Hearn told the hosts that he will decide whether or not to bid on the bout, and as of the that moment, he seemed inclined to do so. Hearn even joked that perhaps Devin Haney Promotions would bid on Lopez-Kambosos. “Devin would probably ask me for the money,” he cracked.

The Brit said he’s not at all keen on Lopez’s promoter Bob Arum leaning on anyone, even subtly, to try to avert them from bidding on the fight. Hearn also said Haney is ready to fight Lopez right now, if Teofimo wanted to go that route.

You probably know that Lopez is currently stuck in the waiting game; a purse bid overseen by the IBF was to take place yesterday (Thursday), but it was put off until next week because of inclement weather. (I would think you could do what you wanted to do over the phone, but anyway...)

Arum confirmed that the Lopez-Kambosos bid will be taking place next week, and Lopez’s manager David McWater said the same. “I haven’t heard from Top Rank since Feb. 5,” McWater said. “Nothing much to update.”

He saw that Arum did a video chat with iFL TV, where the promoter said he didn’t think Hearn would bid on a Lopez-Kambosos fight, because Hearn and Top Rank are looking to work together on the Tyson Fury-Anthony Joshua promotion.

“Obviously I don’t think that Eddie Hearn is gonna bid on that fight,” he said. “That’s a stupid way to start a relationship, where everybody is going to look for promoters to be cooperative putting on a Fury-Joshua fight.”

You’ve read between the lines: There is a line in the sand being drawn by Top Rank, and that line now feels more like a trench. Did you see Lopez on ESPN this past Saturday night? The young gun attended the Top Rank show at the Bubble, and didn’t seem in the dumps about how his post-Loma bout is playing out. But he sent a strong message of his own when he announced that he’d be reaching out to ESPN bossman Jimmy Pitaro about his next.

This is hardball playing out right now, and pretty darned fascinating to see, outside looking in. I can’t recall the last purse bid that had this sort of buzz surrounding it.