Photo by: Chris Farina/Team Salido

Sean Gibbons found himself on Tuesday trying to determine if it was worse being likened to a whore or a prostitute.

Gibbons, who manages Orlando Salido, had been equated to a “whore” by Vasyl Lomachenko manager Egis Klimas for working with different promoters to get the best offer for his fighter. The comment was made as part of talks for a possible rematch between Lomachenko and Salido that have grown more acrimonious by the day. Klimas was reacting to the news that Gibbons was turning his attention away from the rematch, unhappy with Top Rank’s offer, to a possible fight with Japan’s Takashi Miura instead.

Klimas described this as “probably” a negotiating ploy to try and get more money for the fight with Lomachenko. Gibbons said the Top Rank offer was around $500,000. “Everybody has a different strategy,” Klimas told RingTV.com. “I’m loyal to my promoter. And I’m not running around like a whore. If they have a promoter in Mexico, then they go to Golden Boy and then they go to Top Rank — who can pay you money if you’re running like a whore? Nobody wants you around. Stick around. Be loyal and then people are going to see you’re loyal and that’s how you’re going to get paid.”

Gibbons, who considers Klimas a friend, paused to collect his thoughts. Salido has been signed with the Mexican-based Zanfer Promotions for his entire career; Zanfer is a partner of Top Rank, Gibbons said. He also said they have two options with Golden Boy after Salido fought to a draw with titleholder Francisco Vargas in June. As far as moving on to Takashi for a possible fall showdown, he was simply trying to get the best offer for his client, just as Klimas would do for his boxers, he said.

“We’re not running around anywhere,” Gibbons told RingTV.com. “Top Rank called and made an offer that we felt wasn’t adequate. We have a couple of options with Golden Boy. So we don’t whore around. We don’t prostitute. We are one of the most loyal people you’ll ever meet in the world. Orlando Salido started his career with Zanfer and will end his career with Zanfer. He’s been with the same trainer since he was 12 years old; he’s been with the same manager: me. So if Egis did his homework and knew what he was talking about, he would realize we’re not prostituting ourselves. We are working with the same people we’ve always worked with. Anybody in the game who knows me knows that I’m the loyalest person out there.”