By Miguel Rivera

Top Rank's CEO Bob Arum is not ready to throw in the towel on a potential rematch between Vasyl Lomachenko (9-1, 7 KOs) and Orlando 'Siri' Salido (44-13-4, 31 KOs).

The two boxers met in the ring back in March of 2014 - in what was Lomachenko's second pro fight. After twelve rounds of action, Salido walked away with a twelve round split decision win and Lomachenko suffered his first and only career defeat.

Their match was smeared with controversy, because Salido failed to make the weight and entered the ring with a decent size advantage - and Lomachenko's team complained that Salido was never penalized for numerous low blows.

Since that fight went down, Arum and his company have been attempting to make the rematch.

Both sides appeared to be close to a deal on more than one occasion in 2017. Initially they were far apart on the money and then they were unable to agree on the actual fight date.

But this coming Saturday night, the two boxers will go head to head in separate events.

Salido will battle Miguel Roman in an HBO televised main event from the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, and Lomachenko will defend the WBO super featherweight title against Guillermo Rigondeaux in an ESPN televised main event from The Theater in Madison Square Garden in New York City.

If both boxers come away with their hands raised, Arum will make another attempt to finalize the rematch.

"After this fight on December 9, against Rigondeaux, we will make another offer to Salido for the rematch with Lomachenko. And if he accepts it, we will make the fight and if not, then we will look for another opponent. It's as simple as that," Arum said to ESPN Deportes.

"I think that Salido is not very anxious to fight against Lomachenko, because every time we have proposed the fight, he answers us with some number [for his purse] and we agree on what his purse will be, and then he comes back asking for more money. I don't think he has the desire to get in a ring with Lomachenko - that's his problem."