Bob Arum at 90: Hall of Fame promoter by the numbers

Michael Rosenthal
·4 min read

Bob Arum turned 90 today. And the Hall of Fame promoter is still going strong.

The Vasiliy Lomachenko-Richard Commey card on Saturday in New York (ESPN and ESPN+) will be the 2,120th of the Top Rank chairman’s career, according to a Top Rank news release. That’s an average of almost 40 cards per year since his first promotion on March 29, 1966 in Toronto, where Muhammad Ali successfully defended his heavyweight title against George Chuvalo.

Arum has promoted many of the biggest names in the sport but the company emphasized the championship run of Marvin Hagler, George Foreman’s “triumphant return” to boxing and Manny Pacquiao’s rise to superstardom.

Arum also oversaw Oscar De La Hoya’s evolution into the face of boxing.

The release included “Bob Arum by the Numbers.” Here are a few items that stood out: He promoted 41 Miguel Cotto fights, more than any other fighter; he has promoted 864 cards on ESPN, more than any other network; he has promoted 677 world title fights; he has promoted 550 cards in Nevada, more than any other state; he has promoted cards in 220 U.S. cities; he has promoted cards in 42 of the 50 U.S. states; and he has promoted 63 cards in Puerto Rico, more than any other foreign country.

Promoter Bob Arum has promoted 2,119 boxing cards. Ethan Miller / Getty Images

The full list is below.

  • 2,119 Boxing cards promoted

  • 864 Boxing shows TR promoted on ESPN network

  • 677 World title fights promoted by TR

  • 550 Boxing shows TR promoted in Nevada

  • 412 Boxing shows TR promoted in New Jersey

  • 220 U.S. cities in which TR has promoted

  • 196 Boxing shows promoted by TR in California

  • 154 Boxing shows promoted by TR in Texas

  • 129 Boxing shows TR promoted on HBO network

  • 98 Boxing shows promoted by TR on CBS network

  • 92 Foreign cities in which TR has promoted

  • 73 Boxing shows TR promoted on ABC network

  • 73 Boxing shows promoted by TR in New York State

  • 70 Boxing shows promoted by TR in Arizona

  • 63 Boxing shows promoted by TR in Puerto Rico

  • 52 Boxing shows promoted by TR in Mexico

  • 49 Pay-per-view boxing shows promoted by TR

  • 48 Boxing shows promoted by TR in New York City

  • 47 Boxing shows promoted by TR in Illinois

  • 42 States in which TR has promoted boxing

  • 41 Miguel Cotto fights promoted by TR (HOF)

  • 41 Boxing shows promoted by TR in Pennsylvania

  • 38 Michael Carbajal fights promoted by TR (HOF)

  • 37 Oscar De La Hoya fights promoted by TR (HOF)

  • 37 Donald Curry fights promoted by TR (HOF)

  • 36 Johnny Tapia fights promoted by TR (HOF)

  • 35 Floyd Mayweather, Jr fights promoted by TR (HOF)

  • 33 James Toney fights promoted by TR (HOF)

  • 33 Boxing shows promoted by TR in Florida

  • 32 Erik Morales fights promoted by TR (HOF)

  • 31 Micky Ward fights promoted by TR

  • 30 Boxing shows promoted by TR on Showtime/ShoBox networks

  • 29 Mikey Garcia fights promoted by TR

  • 29 Tommy (The Duke) Morrison fights promoted by TR

  • 28 Iran Barkley fights promoted by TR

  • 28 Oscar Valdez fights promoted by TR

  • 27 Muhammad Ali fights promoted or co-promoted by TR

  • 27 Boxing shows promoted by TR on Closed-Circuit TV

  • 27 Foreign countries in which TR has promoted, including Puerto Rico (a U.S. territory)

  • 27 Jose Ramirez fights promoted by TR

  • 25 Freddie Roach fights promoted by TR (HOF)

  • 25 Roger Mayweather fights promoted by TR

  • 24 Boxing shows promoted by TR in New Mexico

  • 24 World heavyweight title fights promoted by TR

  • 24 Terence Crawford fights promoted by TR

  • 20 Marvelous Marvin Hagler fights promoted by TR (HOF)

  • 20 Manny Pacquiao fights promoted by TR

  • 19 Juan Manuel Marquez fights promoted by TR (HOF)

  • 17 Shakur Stevenson fights promoted by TR

  • 16 Robert Garcia fights promoted by TR

  • 14 George Foreman fights promoted by TR (HOF)

  • 14 Boxing shows promoted by TR in China

  • 13 Thomas Hearns fights promoted by TR (HOF)

  • 13 Teofimo Lopez fights promoted by TR

  • 10 Alexis Arguello fights promoted by TR (HOF)

  • 10 Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini fights promoted by TR (HOF)\

  • 9 Boxing shows promoted by TR in Colorado

  • 8 Roberto Duran fights promoted by TR (HOF)

  • 7 Sugar Ray Leonard fights promoted by TR (HOF)

  • 7 Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. fights by TR (HOF)

  • 5 Carlos Monzon fights promoted by TR (HOF)

  • 5 Emile Griffith fights promoted by TR (HOF)

  • 4 Mike Tyson fights promoted by TR (HOF)

  • 4 Tyson Fury fights promoted by TR

  • 2 Larry Holmes fights promoted by TR (HOF)

  • 1 Evel Knievel Snake River Canyon jump promoted by Bob Arum

  • 0 Boxing shows promoted by TR in: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Kansas, South Dakota, Vermont, Virginia, Wyoming

(HOF) – Hall of Famer