Bob Arum: Salido ‘chickened out’ of Lomachenko rematch

[Ruthless-RKO]

The Top Rank promoter accuses Orlando Salido of running out on a sequel with Vasyl Lomachenko.

It doesn’t appear that Vasyl Lomachenko (7-1, 5 KOs) will get an opportunity to avenge his sole professional defeat against Orlando Salido (43-13-4, 30 KOs) in the near future. And if you ask Bob Arum, it’s because Salido backed out of negotiations, even after Arum agreed to his high purse demands.

“Orlando Salido chickened out,” Arum told RingTV.com on Tuesday. “It’s the only way to say it. He asked for crazy money. We agreed to the crazy money. And then he says, ‘No.’ He’d just as soon not take the fight. Why? Because he knows he can’t beat (Lomachenko). It was a fluke the first time. So, there’s no other way to paint it...”

Salido’s manager, Sean Gibbons, refutes Arum’s characterization by calling it “ludicrous” to even mention Salido’s name in the same sentence as the word “chicken.” According to Gibbons, it was merely a decision to give fans the kind of fights they want to see, and they’d much rather see Salido rematch Francisco Vargas than take on Lomachenko again.

“Orlando voiced to me, ‘Hey, why do I want to fight a guy in Lomachenko who I know is going to run, grab and hold when I can go Mexican-to-Mexican with Francisco Vargas and give the people what they really want see. The only guys who want to see Lomachenko — are Lomachenko.”

Now Top Rank will be looking for another potential opponent for Lomachenko, as the promotional company plans to have him back in the ring by March or April. Salido, meanwhile, appears to be willing to wait on the results of the upcoming Francisco Vargas vs Miguel Berchelt fight (Jan. 28) before settling on his next move.

[Ruthless-RKO]

I don't think it's fair that Loma won't get a chance to avenge his loss, like he did in the amateurs.

[boxing_rocks]

"Chickened out" in terms of not wanting to get humiliated like Walters is true.

[Enlightened-One]

It’s hard to envision a veteran (like Salido) nearing the end of his career, possessing an already tarnished record of 13 losses with 4 draws, acting “cowardly” and being “scared” to add another blemish on his resume by refusing to engage in a rematch against an opponent he has previously defeated.

Everyone has their price and I suspect that Salido feels he deserves to receive a better payday than what he was being offered in order to grant Lomachenko an opportunity to avenge his sole defeat.

[punchoutsb]

It’s hard to envision a veteran (like Salido) nearing the end of his career, possessing an already tarnished record of 13 losses with 4 draws, acting “cowardly” and being “scared” to add another blemish on his resume by refusing to engage in a rematch against an opponent he has previously defeated.

Everyone has their price and I suspect that Salido feels he deserves to receive a better payday than what he was being offered in order to grant Lomachenko an opportunity to avenge his sole defeat.

To be fair he already acted "cowardly" and "scared" by purposefully missing weight to gain an advantage.

[Syntax Error]

Lomachenko must be scary; no mofo wants to fight him.

If they're not chickening out mid fight, they're refusing to fight him in the first place.

[pugilisticprofessor]

Hilarious that Arum has the balls to say that Salido "Chickened out".
Salido is a warrior that never avoids anybody so most likely what is happening is that they are offering him lowball numbers.

[greg]

..promoters/manages all playing their usual games...we all know why Lomachenko lost and Salido won. The veteran wants a better paycheck at the end of his career? fair enough...

[klitoris]

Salido knows he is gonna get manhandled and get his ass beaten.

Looks like he's not a real Mexican to prove everyone wrong...

[jujigatame]

I'm not too disappointed. It's nice for a guy like Loma to avenge his lone loss, but the fight was a foregone conclusion anyway.

I hope Corrales, Sosa, or Vargas step up and take the fight.

[gilgamesh]

It's probably one of those principle things where Salido wants better money than Lomachenko, but Lomachenko is gonna be making more money so Salido ain't having it.

[montrealsuper]

more anti white discrimination against the great white fighters of today- GGG Kovalev Lomachenko Beterbiev - get used to it -

[canelo-runs-to-flyweight]

Salido and his gibbon trashtalker are just gipsy traders from around the corner. "Grab and hit to the balls" is all what they can trade to the boxing public. Plus, they may arrange the 'incompetent' judges, who will calculate one low blow as two correct blows and brings the necessary scores to the gypsies. Loma must forget about these clowns asap. Loma should meet Vargas asap and destroy him with proper punishment to show what relation the street 'bullies' like salido have to real boxing. after declassifying of Vargas by Lomachenko nobody will even remember these salido-type ball-hitters.

[canelo-runs-to-flyweight]

I hope Corrales, Sosa, or Vargas step up and take the fight.

Not 'take the fight' but take the beating and punishment.
No one of the above is even close to present decent counter action to Lomachenko.