LAS VEGAS. — Boxing promoter Bob Arum, who is showing no signs of slowing down at the age of 83, says he will continue to make blockbuster fights until they “put me in a box.” “My problem is when you get to be an age that I am you are afraid to stop because you wonder how long you are going to last,” said Arum.

“If you just put your head down and keep going you figure to last longer than if you just quit.

“I will do it until they put me in a box or I can’t do it anymore.”

The often bombastic Arum has handled some of the biggest names in the sport, including Muhammad Ali, Marvin Hagler, George Foreman and Oscar De La Hoya.

His latest protégé is Filipino icon and eight division champion Manny Pacquiao, who is gearing up to face Floyd Mayweather this weekend.

Both fighters are expected to make well over $100 million from the welterweight unification bout with 60 percent of the purse going to Mayweather and Pacquiao collecting the other 40 percent.

The blockbuster bout could generate a record $400 in revenues with the majority of that coming from pay-per-view buys.

The numbers are staggering even for Arum, who has promoted some of the biggest fights in boxing history.

“I am not going to project any numbers because any number I say people will say ‘there he goes, bullshitting us again,’” Arum said.

“If the numbers turn out to be what we hope for, each fighter will make more money than a complete major league payroll of most baseball teams.”

Arum described this as the most difficult promotion of his career which has lasted 50 years. He said there is no rematch clause in the contract and he doesn’t want one.

“I am 83 years old. I’ve been through the most hellish time of my pro career,” Arum said Wednesday. — AFP.

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