Robert “Bob” Arum is the founder and CEO of Top Rank, a professional boxing promotion company based in Las Vegas. He has also worked for the US Attorney’s Office for the southern district of New York in the tax division.
Arum organized super fights like Marvin Hagler vs. Roberto Durán and Hagler vs. Thomas Hearns.
Arum mounted the Hagler-John Mugabi, Hearns-James Shuler double header in Las Vegas in April 1986. After the Hearns-Shuler fight, Shuler, who had lost by knockout in the first round, showed up at Arum’s hotel room to thank him for the opportunity to fight Hearns. Ten days later, Shuler was dead in an unfortunate motorcycle accident.
Arum kept producing big-scale undercards and super fights, including the Hagler-Sugar Ray Leonard bout, the Leonard-Hearns rematch, Evander Holyfield vs. George Foreman, and many others.
Some of Arum’s superstars from the 1990s include former world flyweight champion Michael Carbajal and six-division world champion Oscar De La Hoya and current boxing superstars, which includes eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao and three-division world champion Erik Morales. Arum promoted the legendary champion Julio Cesar Chavez in his late years of boxing.
Manny Pacquiao is a Filipino professional boxer and politician. He is the first eight-division world champion, in which he has won ten world titles, as well as the first to win the lineal championship in four different weight classes. He is also the second highest paid athlete in the world.
He was named “Fighter of the Decade” for the 2000s decade by the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA), World Boxing Council (WBC) and World Boxing Organization (WBO). He is also a three-time The Ring and BWAA “Fighter of the Year,” winning the award in 2006, 2008 and 2009, and the Best Fighter ESPY Award in 2009 and 2011.
Pacquiao met Juan Manuel Márquez on December 8, 2012, for a fourth time, in a non-title bout at welterweight. Pacquiao was knocked out with one second left in the sixth round by a right to the jaw, giving Marquez the KO win.
Pacquiao is scheduled for a non-title bout at welterweight on November 23, 2013, at the Venetian Macao Resort & Hotel in Macau of the special administrative regions in China against The Ring ranked #6 Junior Welterweight Brandon Ríos. This will be Pacquiao’s first fight to be held in China.
“A lot of great champions come from Puerto Rico,” said Mayweather. “You guys have got another great champion in Miguel Cotto, tough, strong, solid 154-pounder.”
“I’m not looking to cheat, like I said before. My thing is this, I told Miguel Cotto: ‘I don’t want to fight you at a catchweight, I want to fight the best Miguel Cotto,” he continued.
Mayweather went on to say, “To be the best you’ve got to beat the best and he’s one of the best fighters out there today. I want to finish putting the rest of the pieces to the puzzle, so I can solidify myself as one of the best fighters to ever live.”
‘We appreciate the fans for supporting us, but when it comes down to it, it’s one-on-one. The trainer can’t fight for the fighters. Pacquiao’s an amazing fighter. But all I got to say is if you’ve got nothing to hide take the test.”
“At the age of 35, I’m still going strong, I’m still hungry, and I still want to give you fans nothing but excitement. I want you guys to tune in May 5, support Floyd Mayweather, support Miguel Cotto, because we’re going to give you guys a toe-to-toe battle,” Mayweather finished.
Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez have met in the ring time and time again. On December 8, the two fighters will meet one more time in an apparent effort to determine who the better boxing champion is.
The first three Pacquiao-Marquez fights were memorable. The initial meeting in 2004 ended in a draw. Take two saw Pacquiao emerge with a split-decision win, aided by a third-round knockdown. Pacquiao-Marquez III was supposed to be the “deciding” bout, but – despite Pacquiao winning on two of the three scorecards – the third part in the trilogy ended being anything but decisive.
Each fight was close enough that many boxing fans and experts can reasonably argue the outcomes. Some believe Marquez should have emerged victorious in all three. Pacquiao wants to prove the critics wrong. Marquez wants to get his win.
For boxing fans and the fighters, a knockout for either boxer would be a great way to end this historic rivalry between the two future Hall of Fame boxers.
World Liberty TV Boxing Team was on hand at the New York Manny Pacquiao vs. Juan Manuel Marquez IV Press Conference to promote their fourth fight in Las Vegas on December 8th 2012.
