Bob Arum: The four key points for boxing promotion
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By Luke Reddy
BBC Sport at Las Vegas
Back in Bob Arum’s office hangs a picture of him embracing Muhammad Ali.
Both men have written about the photograph, together with Arum’s message “To Muhammad, the one who made it easy, with love.”
Arum, 87, and still at the forefront of boxing promotion, has driven fighters out of Ali’s professions to Manny Pacquiao.
Over letting future world champion Floyd Mayweather slide out of his grasp he retains no sorrow, has learned to make peace with credits and competitions marijuana as being secret to his longevity.
Arum is currently in Las Vegas promoting the heavyweight bout between Fury and Otto Wallin of Saturday. His phone pings with text messages, as we talk.
When he believed he’d do one event he has promoted around 2,100 struggle nights because 1966.
Function from the legal profession gave him a glimpse of this sport, when, working for the US Attorney’s Office, he had been instructed to grab funds increased from Sonny Liston’s struggle.
“Because I heard the numbers but I knew nothing about boxing,” he says. “I hadn’t ever seen a struggle.
“Subsequently in 1965 I met Jim Brown, possibly the best American footballer of all time, and he introduced me into Ali. Before I knew that I had been encouraging Ali.
“This was the major step. I thought I’d do you fight for the kisses and escape out. But a UK promoter asked me to bring Ali over to battle Henry Cooper at Arsenal’s old stadium and, 53 decades later, I am still in it.”
After almost 60 years at a chaotic business, BBC Sport was provided that a blueprint for anyone by Arum.
Having a Harvard education, Arum had business acumen; of marketing, the craft , though, was not normal to him.
But, 27 bouts by Ali’s negative had lasting effects in a career that found him move to work with a number of boxing’s greatest names. None were bigger than Ali, the first person to hold the title on three occasions.
“Really, everything I’ve learned about promotion and the way to get attention, it started with Ali,” states Arum. “He was the best promoter I have everbeen about. He was a wonderful influence on my life.
“I remember people would think of me and say how great I was for thinking up all these thoughts. It was awkward as they were not mine, that they had been his.”
From modifications in broadcast systems to the sway of media, Arum has learned to conform to industry advances but feels just one special issue is the greatest threat to any budding promoter.
“The most difficult portion of this business and it sometimes gets mad, is the simple fact that there is no barrier to entry,” he adds.
“People come with cash, understanding nothing and that can be hugely problematic if people mess up the market ”
Arum, who lives in Las Vegas and portion of this year at Beverly Hills, has generated hundreds of millions of dollars.
He might have made.
Mayweather bought himself out of his contract for about $750,000 in 2006. His subsequent wealth has seen the conclusion labelled”boxing’s greatest investment”.
“The mistake I made was because of my long relationship with Ali, I thought I understood everything about the African-American neighborhood,” Arum says.
“When Mayweather kept pushing us to promote him with this particular neighborhood, I believed he didn’t know much. However he looked in the youthful.
“He realised the potential and an older man I didn’t. He left a fortune.
“With Andy Ruiz Jr, who we promoted, he desired enormous money for fights so we let him buy out his contract. He struck on the lottery and went . Anthony Joshua was destroyed by him.
“That’s life, you can’t live on that. I am far from angry or resentful.”
Right now Arum pits his wits against the likes of Eddie Hearn at the Usa at the United Kingdom and Al Haymon. Rivalries exist however he faces none quite like his time squaring off against fellow American Don King.
King appeared as an adversary – notably when he encouraged the’Rumble in the Jungle’ between Ali and George Foreman – and stayed a threat for at least 20 years.
“He had been a tremendous competitor,” remembers Arum.
“I had been with Ali, therefore I had been connected to the Nation of Islam and the civil rights movement in america.
“King left me dizzy when he tried to label me a racist. It worked for some time with fighters signing along with him. I discovered how to handle that.
“He had really no life . He would stay up till all hours phoning to earn fights.
“When the moment arrived, we worked with big conflicts. 1 thing I discovered early on is it’s not all about you. If a fighter has an opportunity, you can not let personal animosity get in the way”
Arum was 74 if YouTube was born. As we talk, he is going to run interviews with some of the stage’s stations that serve many of the sport fans.
“The key to success and longevity is simple; appreciate what you are doing,” he states.
“I understand people in this business that are so driven but they are constantly miserable.
“Another matter is that I understand how to relax and what I have used instead of alcohol is marijuana, even if it wasn’t legal.”
Asked when he began using the material, he jokes:”As soon as I got into this organization.
“It will help rest your head in order when you have to make hard decisions, your brain is rested.”
For the time being, three weeks short of his 88th birthday, there can be no rest. Arum is currently calling the shots at a struggle week, again.
Saturday’s bout is expected to begin at about 05:00 BST at the UK and will be broadcast on BBC Radio 5 Live together with complete text commentary on the BBC Sport website.
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