NEWS: BOB ARUM WILLING TO MAKE ARTUR BETERBIEV VS. DMITRY BIVOL...ON ESPN

By: Jay Calderon

Legendary promoter Bob Arum is more than happy to make the unification bout between Light-Heavyweight titlists Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol -- it just has to air on ESPN.

Arum, who works exclusively with ESPN, naturally wants the fight to land on his platform, rather than DAZN, the subscription network for which Bivol often fights.

Arum told BoxingScene.com that if Eddie Hearn, one of the primary promoters associated with DAZN, would be willing to work within those parameters, the fight could take place with little hesitation.

"...[O]bviously it would have to be on ESPN," Arum expressed. "We could work out something with DAZN in certain areas, but in the United States and Canada, it would have to be on the ESPN platform. If Hearn is willing to do that, then we're happy to do the fight any time, any place..."

While that might seem promising, the issue is that the broadcasting rights for such a big, tough fight could be the deal-breaker for either side.

Typically, promoters are willing to let their fighters fight on another platform for one of two reasons: Either you don't have much faith in your fighter you know it's a gamble, or you know it's worth the risk because you like the chances of your fighter winning, then coming back and reaping the rewards on your side of the street.

A fight like Beterbiev-Bivol is different. Neither side can genuinely say they know their guy wins, because it's a real 50/50 fight. Neither side will want to gamble with their man and let him go onto another platform, with a legitimate chance at losing.

Hopefully, I'm wrong.

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