Bob Arum has worked with some of the greatest fighters of all time throughout his illustrious promoting career.
The legendary Top Rank founder has been involved in boxing since the 1960s, and has gone on to work with some of the biggest names in the history of the sport, including Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao and Oscar De La Hoya.
More recently, Arum has spent time guiding the careers of the likes of Terence Crawford and Tyson Fury, but it is another current pound-for-pound great that the 93-year-old thinks is the best he’s ever witnessed.
The man in question is Naoya Inoue, as whilst speaking to Jai McAllister, Arum heaped praise onto the Japanese superstar.
“Inoue is not only pound-for-pound the best in the world, Inoue is the best fighter I’ve ever seen, no matter what weight category or anything.
“I have never ever in the almost 60 years I’ve been in boxing seen anything like Inoue.”
Inoue has claimed world honours in four weight divisions during his career, along with also becoming undisputed at both bantamweight and super-bantamweight.
He’s defeated fighters such as Nonito Donaire, Stephen Fulton and Luis Nery over the years, and was last in action in September when he retained his undisputed crown with a unanimous decision victory over Murodjon Akhmadaliev.
That saw Inoue extend his unbeaten record to 31-0, and he will make a quick turnaround when he returns to action in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on December 27 to defend his four world title belts against mandatory challenger Alan Picasso.
