Arum Faces Threat to Promoter’s License

The complaint served Bob Arum on Tuesday by the Nevada Athletic Commission, which put the boxing promoter’s license to stage bouts in the state at risk, may be the first in a line of similar complaints against rival promoters.

Marc Ratner, executive director of the Nevada Athletic Commission, said Arum was not singled out with the complaint, which comes on the heels of Arum’s testimony that he paid $100,000 to the International Boxing Federation to sanction George Foreman’s fight with unranked Axel Schulz in 1995.

Rather, Ratner said, Arum was served first because he was the first promoter licensed in Nevada to testify and transcripts of his testimony in the ongoing trial of IBF President Bob Lee became available first.

Promoters Cedric Kushner and Dino Duva also have admitted making similar payments.

“It was not a case of singling [Arum] out,” Ratner said from Las Vegas on Wednesday. “He was lucky, or unlucky, that he was the first licensed promoter to testify. There certainly could be more complaints [against licensed promoters] forthcoming.

“I believe we received Mr. Duva’s transcripts Friday and we should be receiving Mr. Kushner’s shortly.”

Arum, president of Las Vegas-based Top Rank Inc., has 20 days to answer the commission’s letter, Ratner said. The commission will then set up a meeting.

“You’re probably looking at mid-August or so,” Ratner said.

Arum, who could also face a $250,000 fine, issued a statement through Top Rank that said he was cooperating with law enforcement officials.

Arum testified without immunity last month in Lee’s trial in U.S. District Court in Newark, N.J., and later said he came forward because he thought it the right thing to do.

Arum’s payment, the commission says, is a violation of Nevada Revised Statutes 467.110, which reads, “The commission may suspend or revoke the license of, otherwise discipline, or take any combination of such actions against any contestant, promoter, ring official or other participant who, in the judgment of the commission: is guilty of an act or conduct that is detrimental to a contest or exhibition of unarmed combat, including, but not limited to any foul or unsportsmanlike conduct in connection with a contest or exhibition of unarmed combat.”

In a declaration signed by Arum on Nov. 18, 1999, Arum said that he paid Lee $100,000 above and beyond normal fees to sanction the Foreman-Schulz bout for Foreman’s IBF title on April 22, 1995, and had agreed to make another $100,000 payment, which never took place.

Arum’s Top Rank is one of the two top boxing promoters, along with Don King Productions, and has Oscar De La Hoya in its stable.

The California State Athletic Commission also is reportedly investigating Arum’s testimony and could broach the topic in its August meeting.

“Unlike other sports, boxing does not have a national governing body,” Ratner said. “So any state that he’s a licensed promoter in can do that.”