Bob Arum facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bob Arum
|
|
|---|---|
Arum at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, April 18, 2010
|
|
| Born | December 8, 1931 New York City, US
|
| Education | |
| Occupation | Lawyer Boxing trainer Boxing promoter Boxing manager Businessman |
| Years active | 1980 – present |
Robert Arum (born December 8, 1931) is a famous American lawyer and boxing promoter. He is the founder and CEO of Top Rank. This company helps organize professional boxing matches. Top Rank is based in Las Vegas. Before he became a boxing promoter, Arum worked as a lawyer. He worked in the tax division of a court in New York.
Contents
Early Life and Education
.jpg)
Bob Arum was born in Brooklyn, a part of New York City. He grew up in the Crown Heights area. His family had an Orthodox Jewish background.
He went to Erasmus Hall High School. Then he studied at New York University. After that, he attended Harvard Law School. He graduated with honors from Harvard.
Legal Career
After law school, Arum worked for the United States Department of Justice. This was during the time of President John F. Kennedy. He didn't have much interest in boxing back then.
Later, Arum joined a law firm on Wall Street. He practiced civil law for many years. He stopped working as a civil lawyer in 1979.
Becoming a Boxing Promoter
Bob Arum's journey into boxing started in 1962. He was working for the Department of Justice. His job was to collect money from a big boxing match. This match was between Sonny Liston and Floyd Patterson. During this time, he met Lester M. Malitz. Malitz was a pioneer in closed-circuit television (CCTV). CCTV allowed people to watch fights in different locations.
In 1965, Malitz hired Arum to represent him for a boxing match. This match was between Ernie Terrell and George Chuvalo. A famous football player, Jim Brown, suggested that Arum become a boxing promoter. Brown had been hired by Malitz as the announcer for the fight.
Arum credits Jim Brown with introducing him to the legendary boxer Muhammad Ali. He also says Ali taught him how to be a boxing promoter. Arum became a vice-president for Ali's promotion company, Main Bout.
Top Rank and Super Fights
During the 1980s, Arum became a very important person in boxing. He was a big rival to another promoter, Don King. Arum organized many huge boxing events. These were called "superfights."
Some of the famous fights he promoted include:
- Marvin Hagler vs. Roberto Durán
- Marvin Hagler vs. Thomas Hearns
He also promoted the rematch between Sugar Ray Leonard vs. Thomas Hearns in 1989. Other big names he worked with include Evander Holyfield and George Foreman.
In the 1990s, Arum continued to promote many boxing superstars. These included:
- Michael Carbajal, a former world flyweight champion.
- Oscar De La Hoya, who won world titles in six different weight classes.
- Manny Pacquiao, who won world titles in eight different weight classes.
- Erik Morales, a three-division world champion.
- Julio César Chávez, a legendary champion.
Focus on Hispanic Fighters
In recent years, Arum has focused on promoting Hispanic fighters. He noticed that boxing is very popular in the Hispanic community. This strategy began after he worked with Roberto Durán. Durán made a big comeback in a fight against Davey Moore.
Arum has had great success with many talented Hispanic boxers. These include:
- Miguel Cotto from Puerto Rico, who won world titles in four different weight divisions.
- Antonio Margarito, a Mexican-American boxer.
- José Ramírez, a Mexican-American former world champion.
- Teófimo López, a Honduran-American former lightweight world champion.
- Óscar Valdez, a Mexican former super featherweight world champion.
Many of Arum's boxing shows are held in the Southwestern U.S. These cities have large Spanish-speaking populations. He also promoted many fights on Spanish-language TV networks like Telefutura and Azteca América.
In 1999, Bob Arum was honored for his work. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall Of Fame. In 2003, he was also inducted into the Southern California Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.
Personal Life
Bob Arum has been married twice. He has three children from his first marriage: Richard, Lizabeth, and John. His son, John Arum, was a lawyer who worked to protect Native American tribal rights. Sadly, John passed away in 2010 in a climbing accident.
In 1991, Bob Arum married Lovee duBoef. He has two stepchildren with her. Todd duBoef is the President of Top Rank. Dena duBoef is a vice president at Top Rank.
Film and Television Appearances
Bob Arum has appeared in several TV shows and movies. He is often interviewed about boxers or fights. Sometimes, he even acts in small roles. For example, he played a boxing fan in the movie Play It to the Bone. He also appeared in the TV series Arliss.
See also
In Spanish: Bob Arum para niños
