Top Rank's CEO Bob Arum fears for the boxers who are sitting on the shelf and need the money.
Because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, just about every single boxing event has been canceled in March, April and May. Even events in June are looking tentative at best.
The current scenario leaves a lot of boxers without any means of making money, especially the younger up and coming boxers who not yet financially secure.
At the moment, promoters are hoping that they are capable of staging events in July - but nobody has any idea for sure.
“I wish I have the ability to predict the future. I don’t know when this will be all over, I don’t know when will be able to do fights again,” Arum told the The Manila Times in an overseas call.
“That is not a major problem for the world, the major problem for the world is to conquer this virus so we can get back to business. When that will be, I absolutely have no idea. I’m not going to tell any date and talk like I know something because I don’t.
“You have to look at these losses in these young men’s careers because they are not being able to pursue their activities because there are no fights and unlike promoters that can go on forever. Fighters are athletes and they die young in the sense that they have live-in careers and so without taking a big chunk out of their careers by this inactivity.”
Arum, who is 88-years-old, is following directives and staying inside the house.
“We’re staying inside the house, I go for a little walk, but the restaurants are all closed, everything is closed, and we are not interacting with people,” said Arum.
“We are making the best of it, and hopefully we’ll conquer this virus and go back to normal. When that will be we don’t know.”