The differences between the two boxing sages are seemingly as endless as are their similarities.
Top Rank Promotions CEO, Bob Arum, graduated from Harvard with a degree in law, while rival promoter, Don King, a once-jailed, former criminal, will tell you that “I graduated from the University of The Ghetto.”
King turned 79 years old in August, a few months prior to Arum’s doing the same in December. Their promotional histories include Muhammad Ali’s 14th-round knockout of Joe Frazier in the October, 1975 “Thrilla in Manila,” the June, 1980 Roberto Duran decision over Sugar Ray Leonard, the September, 1999 Felix Trinidad majority decision victory over Oscar De La Hoya, and, the April, 2006 Floyd Mayweather unanimous decision over Zab Judah.
But on Jan. 19, the ageless warriors will be reunited once again, as they hold an 11 a.m. press conference at B.B. King’s Blues Club and Grill in New York’s Times Square.
The event will tout a March 12, Showtime distributed pay per view clash matching King’s 37-year-old former world champion Ricardo Mayorga (29-7-1, 22 knockouts) of Managua, Nicaragua, and Arum’s WBA junior middleweight (154) titlist Miguel Cotto (35-2, 28 KOs) of Puerto Rico at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas.
“I think that with two, old codgers like Don King and myself working together on a promotion will sort of be like the fountain for both of us, and that we’ll resort to the shenanigans that we had with each other so many years ago, and I’m looking forward to it,” said Arum.
“You know, in recognition of our ages, we’re not going to be as vitriolic, I don’t think, or as crazy as we were in the past. We had a lot of things that happened, and it’s going to be interesting,” said Arum. “People are going to learn what it is for a card to be put on by two promoters who are real pros.”
The Cotto-Mayorga under card will feature junior middleweight titlist Yuri Foreman (28-1, eight KOs), of Brooklyn, New York, against New Jersey’s Pawel Wolak (28-1, 18 KOs), Gary Shaw-promoted, lightweight (135 pounds) contender, Lenny Zappavigna (25-0, 17 KOs) of Australia pursuing his third consecutive stoppage and his first world title against IBF belt-holder Miguel Vazquez (27-3, 12 KOs), and will highlight the return from a 14-month layoff of former world champion female boxer, Christy Martin (49-5-3, 31 KOs).
King and Shaw are also in the midst of promoting a Jan. 29, HBO televised junior welterweight (140 pounds) clash between southpaw WBC king Devon Alexander (21-0, 13 KOs) and WBO counter part Tim Bradley (26-0, 11 KOs) that will be contested at the Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac, Mich.
During the early promotional activities related to Alexander-Bradley, King experienced the December death of his wife of more than 50 years, Henrietta King, in South Florida following a lengthy illness. Henrietta King was 87.
Arum, similarly, experienced the September, mountain hiking-related death of his 49-year-old son, John Arum, an attorney, during the early part of his promotional tour for the Nov. 13 unanimous decision by eight-division titlist Manny Pacquiao (52-3-2, 38 KOs), holder of the WBO welterweight and WBC junior middleweight belts, against ex-champ Antonio Margarito (38-7, 27 KOs) at The Dallas Cowboys Stadium.
“Don King called me when my son died, and I called Don when his wife died,” said Arum. “So, yeah, we discussed all of that. But, you know, those conversations really have to remain private.”
Read More: WBA WBC IBF WBO Boxing Rumors HBO Showtime FanHouse Exclusive Top Rank Promotions Antonio+Margarito, Bob+Arum, Christy+Martin, Devon+Alexander, Don+King, Felix+Trinidad, Floyd+Mayweather, Gary+Shaw, Henrietta+King, Joe+Frazier, John+Arum, lenny+zappavigna, Manny+Pacquiao, Miguel+Cotto, Miguel+Vazquez, Muhammad+Ali, Oscar+De+La+Hoya, Pawel+Wolak, Ray+Leonard, Ricardo+Mayorga, Roberto+Duran, Tim+Bradley, Yuri+Foreman, Zab+Judah
