Astute promoter and surely the best in the business, Bob Arum, celebrates his 81st birthday today in Las Vegas, the boxing capital of the world.
Arum couldn?t have chosen a better day or a better event to mark another milestone in his career ? a mega fourth fight between his prized possession ? ?Fighter of the Decade? Manny Pacquiao and Mexican legend Juan Manuel Marquez.
It?s a sell-out crowd at the MGM Grand Garden Arena with over 16,000 tickets sold and an expected pay per view response that would be even bigger than their three previous fights.
Arum has been the top dog in a sport that can sometimes see a lot of bite but he has remained the pre-eminent figure no matter what.
Arum made his promotional debut in 1966 when he presented a world heavyweight title fight featuring his greatest fighter at that time ? Muhammad Ali.
By all accounts Arum?s famous Top Rank Promotions has presented some 11,500 fight cards around the world including the Philippines and Mexico and aside from Ali and Pacquiao has promoted such other notable fighters as George Foreman, Sugar Ray Leonard, Roberto Duran, Thomas ?Hitman? Hearns, Oscar De La Hoya, Julio Cesar Chavez Sr and Jr, Larry Holmes and ?Iron Mike? Tyson as well as current four-division WBO super bantamweight champion Nonito ?The Filipino Flash? Donaire.
The Manila Standard, Philboxing.com, Viva Sports, Boxing Scene and ABS-CBN Sports which telecasts many of the Top Rank fight cards in the Philippines as well as The Filipino Channeland millions of Filipinos and fight fans around the world join in wishing Bob Arum all the best and hope he is blessed by going the distance ? and wining!
God bless Bob.
Photos courtesy of Ed Keenan, Top Rank.
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