BOB ARUM: Top Rank has a reputation of developing its fighters from scratch, from its earliest fight onward and we don?t usually co-promote a fighter with anyone. But we?ve know Russell Peltz for many years and Russell is a true boxing promoter, who knows what he?s doing as witnessed by the tremendous job he?s done developing Mike Jones to where Mike is one of the rising prospects in boxing on the cusp of becoming a star in the sport. When we looked at Mike we saw a fine young man who had great ability who believed we could help Russell develop him on the next stage against the elite fighters in the sport. We are so proud and happy to be aligned in this venture with Russell Peltz, who has developed more fighters in the Philadelphia area than the Phillies have pitchers and they have a lot of great pitchers and Russell has developed so many.
RUSSELL PELTZ: Bob, I?ve known you for 36 years and I think you?ve known me longer than you?ve known anybody in boxing with the possible exception of Don Chargin.
BOB ARUM: I think it?s about the same time.
RUSSELL PELTZ: I think Mike is probably the best prospect to come out of Philly since maybe Bernard Hopkins. His management came to me a couple years ago asking to please use Mike Jones on a show, who I had never heard of. I put Mike with a New York Golden Gloves champion named Jason Thompson who was undefeated and after Mike knock him out I was deluged with calls from out of town asking who this kid was. I figured I had something and now he is ranked as high as No. 2 in the world and Top Rank has a
