Legendary promoter Bob Arum has been involved in boxing for over half of a century and seen it all.
During that time the Top Rank CEO has guided the career of a number of star names, with plenty of them coming from the welterweight division.
The likes of Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao and Terence Crawford have all fought under the Top Rank banner, and Arum has now declared another 147lb fighter as the best.
There are currently three world champions at 147lbs, with Jaron Ennis the unified IBF and WBA champion, while Mario Barrios holds the WBC title and Brian Norman is in possession of the WBO strap.
It was Norman who fought most recently, knocking out Jin Sasaki in devastating fashion to extend his unbeaten record to 28-0 with two no contests, with 22 of his wins coming by stoppage.
Arum has heaped high praise on Norman, after declaring on social media that he views the 24-year-old as number one in the division.
“We just witnessed the best welterweight in the world in Tokyo. Brian Norman Jr. is a sensational young fighter.”
Norman was linked to a unification showdown with Ennis last year, but it was unable to come to fruition. Some fans may have hoped it could still happen soon, but those wishes have been dashed after it was revealed that ‘Boots’ now intends to move up to 154lbs.
It means that Norman may be an interested spectator when Barrios defends his WBC welterweight crown against Pacquiao next month, with a unification with the winner a potential target for Norman.
