By Steve Kim
Right now there are no dates set on the boxing calendar for WBC super lightweight titlist, Viktor Postol and WBO featherweight beltholder Vasyl Lomachenko - which irks Bob Arum of Top Rank, who promotes both boxers.
When asked about Postol, who knocked out the highly regarded Lucas Matthysse in ten rounds on October 3rd at the StubHub Center in Carson, California to capture the WBC title, Arum said the network gives a deaf ear to the very mention of his name.
"Well, on the table for him currently is that the people at HBO apparently were not looking when he knocked out Matthysse - because when you mention Postol they don't even know who he is," Arum explained to BoxingScene.com.
"But again, we'll see, we hope to get Postol a fight and put him on premium television sometime this year...sometime in the first half like May or June. And HBO doesn't have a monopoly on these spots."
So is he essentially getting the treatment as Guillermo Rigondeaux, who despite his record, titles and the pound-for-pound status was ignored by the network?
"No, no, how could they treat him like Rigondeaux? He knocked out Matthysse, which is one of their guys," pointed out Arum, who isn't afraid to battle with network executives.
"If it's not somebody who was created by Peter Nelson (Executive Vice President of HBO Sports) - he's not interested."
Arum cracked - "He would program 'Chocolatito' (Roman Gonzalez) against anybody every month because he feels he created 'Chocolatito'"
As for Lomachenko?
''Well, that's another Peter Nelson problem," said a chagrined Arum. "He didn't create him. I'll be in New York and I'll be talking to some people."
Top Rank is staging a card this weekend at the Theater of Madison Square Garden featuring the likes of Terence Crawford and Felix Verdejo, that ironically will be broadcast by HBO.
Peter Nelson had no reaction when reached by BoxingScene.com.
Steve Kim is the news editor for BoxingScene.com.
