The best punch trackers on the market
8th December 2020
By: Noah Abrahams
Best known as the founder and CEO of Top Rank Promotions, businessman Bob Arum has built a boxing empire from scratch.
Currently representing the likes of Teofimo Lopez, Terence Crawford, Tyson Fury and Vasiliy Lomachenko, Arum has been involved in some epic match-ups throughout the years.
A law graduate from Harvard Law School, the now 89-year-old switched law for war in 1966.
READ – THE BEST PUNCH TRACKERS ON THE MARKET
The story goes, that when working for the Department of Justice in 1962, a young Arum was sent to confiscate proceeds from Sonny Liston’s heavyweight world title victory over Floyd Patterson.
Whilst representing the Department of Justice, Arum met at the event, former boxing promoter Lester Malitz.
The relationship between the two grew and in 1965, Malitz asked Arum to help promote the WBA world heavyweight title clash between Ernie Terrell vs. George Chuvalo in Canada.
THE BOXING GAME YOU HAVE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR!
Arum took to his new role like a duck to water and employed none other than the legendary Jim Brown to be the fight’s announcer. It was Brown who first persuaded Arum to switch careers and to become a promoter. It was Brown who introduced Arum to Muhammad Ali!
‘The People’s Champion’ supposedly helped teach Arum the ropes. Ali made the New-Yorker a Vice-President and the Secretary of Main Bout Promotions (Ali’s promotion).
In 1966, Arum was handed full responsibility for promoting Muhammad Ali vs. George Chuvalo in Canada. Ali dubbed Chuvalo the ‘Washerwoman’, but later described Chuvalo as the toughest fighter he’d faced to that point in his career. The Canadian was the first ever Ali opponent to take ‘The Greatest’ 15 rounds. The night was a great success for Arum.
THE GREATEST HEAVYWEIGHT KNOCKOUT ARTISTS!
As time went by, Arum became a feared name in the world of boxing promotion. Rivalling the infamous Don King in the 1980’s, it was Arum who organised super-fights including Marvin Hagler vs Roberto Durán, Hagler vs Thomas Hearns and Hearns vs James Shuler.
By the end of the 1980’s, Arum and Top Rank had played a hand in promoting fights such as Hagler vs Sugar Ray Leonard, ‘Sugar’ vs. Hearns (the 1989 rematch) and by 1991, even Evander Holyfield vs. George Foreman.
Throughout the 1990’s, Arum had the ultimate prized fighter in his corner. Representing eight division world champion Manny ‘Pacman’ Pacquiao, there was no name to big for today’s birthday boy!
Whilst it hasn’t always been plain sailing for Arum, several boxing fans will consider the American to be one of the greatest promoters of all time.
If only the celebrity boxing craze was as popular back in the day! Bob Arum vs Don King would have been quite the spectacle.
