Bob Arum Hits Back At Terence Crawford Over Lawsuit & Racism Claims!
The bombshell news of WBO welterweight champion Terence Crawford filing a lawsuit against his former promoter Bob Arum is all the talk lately. In the suit, Crawford cited racial bias for preventing him from securing big fights. The legendary promoter has broken his silence and vehemently denied the accusations being levied against him. In a statement to Yahoo Sports, he called Crawford’s claims vile and indefensible.
“Bud Crawford’s lawsuit against Top Rank is frivolous. His vile accusations of racism are reckless and indefensible. He knows it, his lawyer knows it. I have spent my entire working life as a champion of Black boxers, Latino boxers and other boxers of color. I have no doubt the court will see Crawford’s case for the malicious extortion attempt that it is.”
Bob Arum, Top Rank CEO
Throughout his career, Arum has promoted a diverse group of fighters from all ethnicities. Historic names include Muhammad Ali, Oscar De La Hoya, and Manny Pacquiao. The current crop of talent lists Vasyl Lomachenko, Shakur Stevenson and Teofimo Lopez, just to name a few.
DEJA VU FOR ARUM?
Back in 2008, Floyd Mayweather, who was once promoted by Bob Arum, sued Arum claiming he was still owed money from pay-per-view fights with Arturo Gatti in 2005 and Zab Judah in 2006. This would lead to a counter suit by Arum, who alleged that Mayweather owed him money.
Furthermore, in a separate issue, after his departure from Top Rank, Mayweather stated that he felt Arum was biased towards black fighters. He also felt that he favored Hispanic fighters. This is according to an interview he did with AllHipHop.com
“I think I was just held back, I could have been a bigger, quicker draw if I wasn’t held back from PPV by Bob Arum. I feel that my first PPV fight should have been with Angel Manfredy. Bob Arum is biased against black fighters; he leans towards Hispanic fighters and keeps them on PPV.”
Floyd Mayweather Jr, former multi-division champion
The statement made by Crawford eerily echoes the sentiments of Mayweather, who was mentioned in the suit. Mayweather would go on to become the face of boxing for the next decade after his departure from Arum and Top Rank. The situations have similarities, for sure. Yet, until more information comes out regarding the specifics of Crawford’s contract, it’s purely a waiting game at this moment.
It’s clear that Arum will not be going down without a fight, something that Crawford’s representatives probably already knew. 3kingsboxing.comwill continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as they become available.
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By: Jerrell Fletcher
