Come March 29, it will be 50 years in the business and what, you thought Brooklyn born Bob Arum lasted this long by being a timid sort, ultra amiable, the kumbaya kid of fight promoters?
FUCK NO.
Man is 84 and hasn’t lost any snap off his verbal curveball or the brushback heater he still fires now and again.
Last week he took at aim at the new HBO boxing boss, Peter Nelson, for not warming to the promoters’ vision for suitable fare to present to HBO subscribers. Today, Thursday, the Bobfather took aim at another boss man type, this one in the political arena.
Arum versus Trump, in Madison Square Garden, anytime, proceeds go to charity, he told me. This is the next super fight he wants to put together.
This concept was launched after a presser to hype the Saturday MSG Theater show, topped by Terence Crawford, the fighting pride of Omaha, and the man with the sweetest smile in the business, Felix Verdejo, in separate bouts, which will screen on HBO.
I pitched Arum vs. the combover king for the MSG Theater.
Eff that, said Brooklyn Bob.
“Screw the Theater at MSG, the big arena! We will do it in the big room, anytime he wants. Proceeds go to charity. Lemme take on Donald Trump! I’ll handle him, not like these guys who don’t hit him, who hit him with kid gloves.”
Take that, Misters Cruz and Rubio…
“It’s a disgrace,” he continued. “You can’t say what he’s saying, saying these hateful speeches, when you’re running for President of the United States.”