Arum came in without a boxing background. A Brooklyn-born lawyer and former federal prosecutor, he moved from handling financial cases into promoting fights after meeting Ali during private practice.
“60 years is a lot of time. I’ve met some fabulous people, and it’s been a great adventure,” Arum said. “People ask what my toughest promotion was. My toughest promotion was my first fight, just getting the fight on. Everything else was easy in comparison.”
That first show came during a difficult period for Ali, with cities in the United States unwilling to host him after his stance on the Vietnam War. Arum stepped in to stage the fight in Toronto, getting it over the line when others would not.
From there, the shows grew from single events to global cards, including the run of Leonard, Hagler, Hearns, and Duran. He later guided George Foreman’s return to the heavyweight title and worked closely through Manny Pacquiao’s championship run across divisions.
“The last thing I would envision myself at that point was to be a boxing promoter,” Arum said. “When I first started, there were no satellites to deliver fight broadcasts to another country. That technology didn’t exist.”
Top Rank’s numbers reflect that reach. More than 2,200 cards promoted, over 700 world title fights, and events staged across more than 200 American cities and dozens of countries.
Arum has also taken fighters from pro debut through to world titles across multiple generations, including Oscar De La Hoya, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Miguel Cotto, and Vasiliy Lomachenko, with current prospects moving through the same structure.
“The biggest lesson I’ve followed is that you’ve got to be flexible enough to know that things will not always be the same,” Arum said.
The model has shifted over time, from closed-circuit broadcasts to global streaming, but the core remains the same. Build fighters, keep them active, and place them in fights that move them toward belts.
At 94, Arum is still working. Arum’s longevity has outlasted multiple promotional eras, from closed-circuit fights to global streaming deals.
“When I look back, what I’m most proud about of the 60 years that I’ve spent in this sport is to have lasted as long as I have, both physically and mentally. It’s not easy to be a promoter.”
Top Rank plans to mark the anniversary throughout 2026 and continues to run cards and develop fighters across divisions.
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