HALL of Fame boxing promoter Bob Arum ranks current boxing king Manny Pacquiao next only to the legendary Muhammad Ali among the great boxers he has managed in 45 years promoting prizefights.
?The first Ali was the most incredible fighter I?ve ever seen,? Arum told USA Today, referring to the young and brash heavyweight champion in 1966-67, before Ali he was stripped of his title for evading the draft.
?When he came back [more than three years later, Ali] was still a wonderful fighter, but he wasn?t as great as he was before. He had lost speed and reflexes,? Arum added.
Arum said second to ?The Greatest? is Manny Pacquiao, the only fighter to have won titles in eight different weigh classes, ?because Pacquiao was a gutty kid and he always finds a way to win.?
Arum, who marked his 80th birthday Thursday, told newsmen that he considers Pacquiao?s career-defining upset of Oscar ?Golden Boy? De La Hoya as one of the greatest moments of his promotional career spanning some 11,000 fights.
