Promoter Bob Arum (Top Rank) has approached the IBF with a request to conduct a promotional auction immediately. At stake is the right to organize a fight for the vacant IBF middleweight belt between Esquiva Falcao (30-0, 20 KOs) from Brazil and Michael Zerafa (31-4, 19 KOs) from Australia.
The IBF responded to Arum’s request – the auction will take place on March 14.
The belt’s previous holder, legendary veteran Gennady Golovkin of Kazakhstan, relinquished the title as his fight with mandatory challenger Falcao was expectedly uninteresting to potential buyers.
The promoter of the Brazilian Arum immediately made it clear that he would not be able to offer Golovkin the level of fees that the Kazakhstani is counting on.
Immediately after Golovkin abandoned the IBF belt, rumors spread that GGG would soon end his career altogether. The boxer’s lawyer commented on this. And one of the top observers suggests that one of these days the veteran will give up the second belt as well.
