Boxing News 2016: Bob Arum Not Looking To Retire Soon, Responds To Critics Who Rip Pacquiao-Bradley Rubber Match
At 84-years of age, Top Rank Promotions head honcho Bob Arum is not looking to retire any time soon.
A graduate of Harvard Law School, Arum began his career as a boxing promoter in the 1980s, where he began working with the man simply branded as "the Greatest," Muhammad Ali. Throughout the years, he has worked with other superstars and world champions such as Oscar De La Hoya, Miguel Cotto, Erik Morales, and Floyd Mayweather Jr.
He was also the brains behind monumental fights such as the November 1983 fight between Marvin Hagler and Roberto Duran, and the April 1985 fight between Hagler and Tommy Hearns, which was simply billed as "The War".
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Arum is currently busy promoting his biggest event for the year so far - a rubber match between Manny Pacquiao and Timothy Bradley. The fight is scheduled for April 9 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
In an interview with ESPN Deportes (which was reported by Boxingscene), Arum maintains he will be around the sport for a while, since retirement is not really among his top priorities.
"I don't think about retirement because then I'll have nothing to do but be stuck at home, smoking cigars," Arum said in the interview. "That's something that I can advise everyone: never retire."
The veteran boxing promoter also responded to critics who continue to criticize the making of the said third fight between Pacquiao and Bradley. Prior to the decision of picking "Desert Storm," a shortlist of fighters was initially released: among them were the names of Pacquiao's former sparring partner Amir Khan and undefeated WBO light welterweight champion Terence Crawford.
In a separate report with Seconds Out, Arum discussed why Bradley ended up being the final choice.
"The distributors didn't want Crawford, they didn't think he was known well enough, and they thought that Khan was flawed," Arum explained.
