Boxing is a lot like anybody else with travel plans these days.
The business is staying at home, at least until the threat of coronavirus subsides.
Top Rank, which had ambitious plans to go global just a few months ago, is taking precautions, both with Japanese bantamweight Naoya Inoue and Thai junior welterweight Apinum Khongsong.
Top Rank chairman Bob Arum told ESPN that he plans to bring Inoue (19-0, 16 KOs), No. 4 in Boxing Junkie’s latest pound-for-pound poll, to Las Vegas as early as possible for his scheduled title unification bout with John Riel Casimero (29-4, 20 KOs) on April 25 at Mandalay Bay.
Inoue’s home country has suspended boxing throughout the month of March because of coronavirus.
“Obviously, everybody in boxing who does international fights is concerned,’’ Arum said. “We’re going to bring him and his family to Las Vegas.’’
Arum said there are also plans to have Khongsong (16-0, 13 KOs) in Scotland as soon as possible. He is scheduled to face junior-welterweight champion Josh Taylor (16-0, 12 KOs) in a mandatory title defense on May 2 in Glasgow.
It’s not clear what kind of travel restrictions either might face. There are reports in the U.S. of increasing numbers of deaths and infections from the virus, especially in Seattle.
Top Rank has already been impacted by the respiratory infection. It was forced to cancel a Feb. 1 date featuring junior welterweight champion Jose Ramirez (25-0, 17 KOs) against Viktor Postol (31-2, 12 KOs) in China, where the virus originated. The bout was subsequently re-scheduled for May 9 in Fresno, California, Ramirez’ hometown.
“We still have a commitment to China,” Arum said. “Obviously, we can’t go there. We have somebody here now, a promoter from Indonesia. Well, we can’t contemplate doing anything there. So we’re limiting ourselves to events in the U.K.”
