From Ali to Fury: Bob Arum Celebrates 54 Years in Boxing
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 01 Apr 2020
Arum has promoted 2,079 shows starting with the March 29, 1966 heavyweight world title showdown between Muhammad Ali and George Chuvalo
(March 31, 2020) — Bob Arum started at the top, and he’s still here. A one-time practicing attorney who worked in the tax division for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, Arum promoted his first card on March 29, 1966. Muhammad Ali defended his heavyweight world title at Toronto’s Maple Leaf Gardens against Canadian challenger George Chuvalo and won a 15-round unanimous decision.
Arum planned on staging Ali-Chuvalo in Chicago, but the Illinois State Athletic Commission banned Ali because of his “unpatriotic” remarks about the Vietnam War. So, Arum went north of the border, and Maple Leaf Gardens owner Harold Ballard welcomed Ali and Arum with open arms. Chuvalo accepted the fight on less than three weeks’ notice after original opponent Ernie Terrell pulled out, and the rest is boxing history.
“It was a memorable, crazy time in our country,” Arum said. “After we were kicked out of Chicago, Ballard told us we could bring the fight to Toronto, and he was a man of his word. More than 50 years later, Ali-Chuvalo in Toronto is still the most difficult promotion of my entire career.”
Arum wound up promoting 27 Ali fights and turned Top Rank (incorporated in 1973) into an international brand that has promoted 2,079 fight cards and 655 world title bouts in 42 U.S. states and 92 foreign or international cities. Many of the greatest fighters of the past half-century have fought under the Top Rank banner, including: Sugar Ray Leonard, Thomas Hearns, Marvelous Marvin Hagler, Johnny Tapia, Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Roberto Duran, George Foreman, Oscar De La Hoya, Timothy Bradley Jr., James Toney, Erik Morales, Juan Manuel Marquez, Alexis Arguello, Michael Carbajal, Miguel Cotto, Emile Griffith, Carlos Monzón, Terence Crawford, Vasiliy Lomachenko and Tyson Fury.
Said Arum: “It has been one hell of a 54-year ride. I am honored to have promoted many of history’s greatest boxers. I could have never foreseen this 54 years ago. I look forward to many more memorable nights at ringside.”
Top Rank/Bob Arum By The Numbers:
2,079: Fight cards promoted
824: Shows on ESPN family of networks
655: World title fights promoted
517: Shows promoted in Nevada
412: Shows promoted in New Jersey
219: American cities in which Top Rank has promoted
195: Shows promoted in California
154: Shows promoted in Texas
129: Shows promoted on HBO
92: Foreign or international cities in which Top Rank has promoted
73: Shows promoted on ABC
72: Shows promoted in New York State
69: Shows promoted in Arizona
63: Shows promoted in Puerto Rico
52: Shows promoted in Mexico
49: Pay-per-view shows promoted
47: Shows promoted in Illinois
42: States in which Top Rank has promoted boxing
41: Miguel Cotto fights promoted
41: Shows promoted in Pennsylvania
38: Michael Carbajal fights promoted
38: Shows promoted in New York City
37: Oscar De La Hoya fights promoted
36: Johnny Tapia fights promoted
35: Floyd Mayweather Jr. fights promoted
33: James Toney fights promoted
32: Erik Morales fights promoted
31: Shows promoted in Florida
28: Iran Barkley fights promoted
27: Muhammad Ali fights promoted or co-promoted
26: Foreign countries in which Top Rank has promoted, plus Puerto Rico
25: Freddie Roach fights promoted
24: Shows promoted in New Mexico
23: World heavyweight title fights promoted
22: Terence Crawford fights promoted
20: Marvelous Marvin Hagler fights promoted
20: Manny Pacquiao fights promoted
19: Juan Manuel Marquez fights promoted
14: George Foreman fights promoted
14: Shows promoted in China
13: Thomas Hearns fights promoted
10: Alexis Arguello fights promoted
10: Ray Mancini fights promoted
9: Timothy Bradley Jr. fights promoted
8: Roberto Duran fights promoted
7: Sugar Ray Leonard fights promoted
7: Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. fights promoted
5: Carlos Monzón fights promoted
5: Emile Griffith fights promoted
4: Mike Tyson fights promoted
3: Tyson Fury fights promoted
2: Larry Holmes fights promoted
1: Evel Knievel Snake River Canyon jump promoted
0: Shows (so far) promoted by Top Rank in: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Kansas, South Dakota, Vermont, Virginia and Wyoming.
Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:
JOSEPH "JOJO" DIAZ EAGER TO REVIVE CAREER AHEAD OF JUNE 19 SHOWDOWN WITH "H2O" SYLVE
Wed, 03 Jun 2026Charly Suarez is my idol - Jhon Lowie Lastimosa
By Lito delos Reyes, Wed, 03 Jun 2026Josh “The Hammer” Popper: From Holy Spirit to a Heavyweight Headline at the Tropicana
Wed, 03 Jun 2026600 athletes expected in 11th Asia-Oceania Sambo tourney
By Lito delos Reyes, Wed, 03 Jun 2026Dagestan rivalry set to ignite Moscow: Khalidov and Yallyev clash on stacked IBA PRO 19 card
Wed, 03 Jun 2026Deep Waters rules inaugural WR Bughouse Championship
By Marlon Bernardino, Tue, 02 Jun 2026HE TURKI ALALSHIKH: 'AJ vs PRENGA IN JEDDAH REINFORCES SAUDI ARABIA'S POSITION AS DESTINATION FOR WORLD'S LEADING EVENTS'
Tue, 02 Jun 2026ANTHONY JOSHUA VS KRISTIAN PRENGA TO TAKE PLACE IN JEDDAH ON JULY 25 – LIVE ON DAZN – AS HEAVYWEIGHTS FACE-OFF IN LONDON
Tue, 02 Jun 2026Ryan ‘The Bruiser’ Rozicki Gets a kick out of British sports fans
Tue, 02 Jun 2026GUSTAVO TRUJILLO CONTINUES HEAVYWEIGHT ASCENT WITH DEVASTATING FIRST-ROUND TKO
Mon, 01 Jun 2026Boxing Insider Promotions Brings Regional Card to Tropicana Atlantic City on Saturday, June 13
Mon, 01 Jun 2026Chess, in whatever form, is a great equalizer
By Marlon Bernardino, Mon, 01 Jun 2026UNBEATEN CRIZTIAN PITT LAURENTE RETURNS TO FACE JING AGUAN IN A LIGHTWEIGHT BOUT HEADLINING SANMAN 101
Mon, 01 Jun 2026Lebosada, Sia rule DSA Open golf
By Lito delos Reyes, Mon, 01 Jun 2026Davao Chess Eagles in FIDE World Team Rapid & Blitz in Hong Kong
By Lito delos Reyes, Mon, 01 Jun 2026