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Add FightsATW on GoogleAt 94, promoter and Top Rank boss Bob Arum doesn’t just boast of a lifetime in the business of boxing, but a host of unparalleled memories about the sport that is the envy of many. While there are many fighters who have had memorable performances under the Top Rank banner, who does Arum fondly remember?
Sitting down with Eddie Hearn, Arum found himself delving into six decades’ worth of memories and the fighters that made it colorful.
“He (Sugar Ray Leonard) was disciplined and he loved the sport and it wasn’t just a game to him, it was an occupation. Same with Marvin Hagler, he was tough, he was dedicated, and he worked like a son of a gun in the gym. I mean, he was a machine that way,” he said. “He didn’t have the technique of a Sugar Ray Leonard or probably even like a Tommy Hearns, but Marvin was a hardworking, blue collar, New Englander and I loved him for that.”
Arum’s stable has included icons such as Muhammad Ali, Hagler, Leonard, Thomas Hearns, Roberto Durán, Oscar De La Hoya, Julio César Chávez, Manny Pacquiao, Miguel Cotto, Terence Crawford, Tyson Fury, Naoya Inoue and Vasiliy Lomachenko, among many others. Few promoters have been associated with as many Hall of Fame careers across multiple generations.
He admired Hagler’s humility and unwavering professionalism, describing him as a fighter who never sought shortcuts and always earned everything the hard way. Arum also respected Hagler’s loyalty and the close working relationship they developed during one of boxing’s golden eras. When Hagler died in 2021, Arum paid an emotional tribute, calling him not only one of the greatest middleweights in history but also one of the finest human beings he had ever worked with. However, there certainly was another fighter he was equally fond of.
“Duran was one of the best guys that I ever promoted,” he continued. “There was always a great laugh in there. He was a hardworking guy, but he made you laugh, and he never took himself, as a person, that seriously.”
“I’m Still Doing It”
And after all these years, it sure looks like he has no plans of stopping anytime soon.
“Look, I’m 94. I’m still doing it. So I don’t know how great I was, how great I could’ve been. But at least I got the opportunities as I got older to do some great fights,” he said before turning to Hearn. “Now Eddie is looking for a way to get out, but I hope he stays in because he’s a helluva promoter.”
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