Bob Arum

Bob Arum was born on December 8, 1931 in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA as Robert Morris Arum.

He graduated from New York University, where he was student body president, in 1953, and cum laude from Harvard Law School in 1956.

In 1962, he was given the assignment of securing proceeds from the Floyd Patterson - Sonny Liston heavyweight title fight, which were rumored to be heading out of the country. While handling the resulting litigation, he met many of the biggest names in boxing and immediately became fascinated by the fistic world.

He left the Justice Department in 1965 and became a partner in Louis Nizer's law firm. He met football great Jim Brown, who introduced him to Muhammad Ali.

Promoted the first fight he ever attended, Muhammad Ali's title bout with George Chuvalo in March, 1966, through a company he organized, Main Bout, Inc., and also promoted Ali's fights with Henry Cooper, Brian London, Karl Mildenberger, Cleveland Williams and Ernie Terrell prior to Ali's involuntary suspension from boxing.

His rise in the 1970s culminated at the New Orleans Superdome on September 15, 1978, where he promoted a then-record-tying four world title fights (Ali-Spinks II, Victor Galindez-Mike Rossman, Danny Lopez-Juan Malvares and Jorge Lujan-Albert Davila).

One of his proudest promotional achievements came to life on April 10, 1980 in Atlantic City, when middleweight Frank "The Animal" Fletcher decisioned Ben Serrano, and ESPN's weekly "Top Rank Boxing" series was born.

His finest achievement in boxing came on the night of November 5, 1994, when George Foreman shocked the world by knocking out IBF/WBA champion Michael Moorer. After the dramatic knockout, an ecstatic Arum rushed into the ring to embrace the two-time world heavyweight champion.

He is an actor, known for Play It to the Bone (1999), Split Decision: The Story of Guillermo Rigondeaux and Teofilo.