Conlan Can Get Olympics Revenge as Nikitin Inks With Top Rank

Bob Arum has confirmed that Michael Conlan will get his chance to earn revenge over Rio 2016 rival Vladimir Nikitin next year.

Nikitin has signed with Top Rank promotions and last week Arum told The42 he wants to build towards a "huge" rematch.

"We’ve already done that deal. I met the youngster, we’re going to give him a couple of fights here in the United States, and then we’re going to make a huge match with him and Mick," said the legendary promoter.

At the Olympic Games in Brazil, Russia's Nikitin was awarded a highly controversial quarter-final win over Conlan, representing Ireland. The result drew immediate uproar and lead to Conlan's infamous middle-finger gesture towards the judges.

All of the boxing judges from the Games were subsequently suspended by the AIBA after a string of poor decisions.

In an explosive interview after that fight, Conlan said the body was "rotten from the core right to the top" and promised to "never box under AIBA again".

Now 6-0 as a professional, the 26-year-old has headlined two shows in New York, and also boxed on the Manny Pacquiao v Jeff Horn bill in Brisbane, Australia.

"It will be a chance for Mick to exact revenge for the terrible decision at the Rio Olympics," continued Arum. "It’ll be huge. It’ll be absolutely huge.

"But I want to get the kid [Nikitin] acclimated as a pro, first," he added. "A friend of ours [EgisKilmas], who manages Vasyl Lomachenko, will be managing this kid."

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