Under orders? Bob Arum pushing to grant Conlan his Warrington wish

 

Bob Arum suggests he is open to a possible featherweight unification bout between Josh Warrington [29(6)-0] and Shakur Stevenson [12(7)-0], but hints he is under orders to get the Leeds native in the ring with Michael Conlan [12(7)-0].

Conlan’s fellow Top Rank feather and Rio Olympian, Stevenson could become a world champion before next month is out – the American was ordered to fight Joet Gonzalez for the WBO strap recently vacated by Oscar Valdez.

Win that title and he could help the IBF world champion, Warrington achieve both his American and unification goals.

The Frank Warren promoted fighter, who defended his title successfully against Carl Frampton last December, is desperate to fight Stateside and wants to unify featherweight titles.

Arums working relationship with Warren would make that bout easy to make, but the legendary promoter, it seems, would prefer to put Belfast’s Conlan in with English fighter.

“There’ll be an interesting fight taking place in October when another rising star in Shakur Stevenson will be fighting for the vacant WBO featherweight championship against Joet Gonzalez,” explained Arum when speaking to World Boxing News.

“That’s a terrific, terrific fight and we hope to do it I think the 26th October in Reno. That’s a real possibility (Warrington and Stevenson could fight) but Mick Conlon, another one of my fighters who was in London for the Lomachenko fight, told me that next year he’s looking forward to fighting Warrington,” he added before responding to questions as to whether Warren was open to an Irish English world title fight by saying: “That’s correct.”

Warren had mentioned a possible fight between Warrington and the World amateur gold medal winner in the build up to the Adam Booth trained fighters Feile fight.

Speaking to irish-boxing.com at the time Conlan claimed the promoter was planting a seed and that fight was ideal for his annual trip to New York.

“Frank is planting a seed,” Conlan told Irish-Boxing.com.

“I think it’s definitely a possibility. My ideas for it would MSG on St Patrick’s Day. That is what I want,” he added emphatically.

In terms of not putting Stevenson in with Warrington, Arum may be playing the long game. It’s quite possible the veteran fight maker is hopeful Conlan can beat the IBF champion and then he could have an all Top Rank unification between two fighters who should have meet in the Olympics but for the Irish fighter being robbed.