A veteran of the fight game, legendary promoter Bob Arum has overseen many of the sport’s most iconic moments, including the comeback of Muhammad Ali, but there is another occasion that sticks out as the proudest of his career.
Arum’s first promotional gig came when he staged Ali’s 1972 dust-up with George Chuvalo, the year after Ali lost out to Joe Frazier in the ‘Fight of the Century’ when attempting to regain the heavyweight throne.
Under Arum’s guidance, Ali went on to avenge that defeat to Frazier and then dethrone George Foreman in the fabled ‘Rumble in the Jungle’ – arguably the most famous event in the history of the sport – to become a two-time world champion.
Yet, whilst those years no doubt fill Arum with pride, he told DAZN Boxing that a moment which springs to mind amongst his proudest is when Foreman recaptured the heavyweight titles in a historic win over Michael Moorer at the age of 45 years old.
“[There are] a number of things [which I am proud of] because I have bee around so often, but one of them that comes to mind is taking a fat, old George Foreman and getting him where he fought for the heavyweight championship against Michael Moorer.
“He lost every round but he was moving more to his power hand and he finally knocked him out. That, to me, was one of the high points of my career.”
Foreman remains as the oldest fighter to win the heavyweight world title, a record that is unlikely to be broken any time soon.
