Legendary promoter Bob Arum has spent over 50 years working in boxing.
The 93-year-old from New York City has been one of the sport’s most prominent figures throughout the course of his storied promotional career.
Arum established Top Rank back in 1973 alongside Jabir Herbert Muhammad and since then he has gone on to guide the careers of a number of legendary fighters, including the likes of Muhammad Ali, Floyd Mayweather Jr and Oscar De La Hoya.
In more recent years, Arum has played a key role in the professional career of former unified heavyweight champion Tyson Fury and Japanese sensation Naoya Inoue, who currently reigns as the undisputed super-bantamweight champion.
Speaking to K.O. Artist Sports, Arum made no mistake in naming who he believes to be the pound-for-pound number one fighter.
“My opinion is Inoue is pound-for-pound the best.”
Inoue made the fifth defence of his undisputed crown at 122lbs on Sunday when he faced long-term rival Murodjon Akhmadaliev at the IG Arena in Nagoya, Japan, claiming a unanimous decision victory after the judges scored the bout 118-110, 118-110 and 117-111 in his favour.
It saw Inoue extend his unbeaten record to 31-0, with 27 of those wins coming by knockout. ‘The Monster’ is now set to clash with David Picasso later this year, with rumours circulating that this could be the Japanese star’s first ring appearance in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
While Arum may view Inoue as the pound-for-pound number one, many boxing fans believe that Terence Crawford has now earned that right following his victory over Canelo Alvarez.
