By Keith Idec

NEW YORK — Bob Arum has high hopes for Glen Tapia.

Following an impressive performance while serving as Manny Pacquiao’s primary sparring partner in the Philippines, Passaic’s Tapia (7-0, 5 KOs) has agreed to terms on a four-year promotional contract with Arum’s Top Rank Inc., which promotes Pacquiao and nearly 40 additional boxers. Union City-based Pound-For-Pound Promotions will remain as Tapia’s co-promoter, but Top Rank’s financial wherewithal and influence within the boxing industry should help Tapia become a marketable television fighter in the coming years.

“He’s a very promising fighter and he’s a very lovely young man,” Arum said. “He’s the kind of guy we want in our program, so we made an arrangement with [manager] Pat [Lynch]. He’s going to be a Top Rank fighter.”

Arum was extremely impressed with how Tapia conducted himself inside and outside the ring when Arum visited Pacquiao’s training camp in Baguiao City last week.

“I thought that he handled himself very professionally and he fit right in,” Arum said. “The people with Pacquiao, and Pacquiao himself, are crazy about him. He’s one of these kinds of kids that is tremendously likeable. And he is very hard-working.”

Tapia, 20, will return to the ring Saturday night at Bally’s Events Center. The 2006 national Junior Olympic champion is scheduled to encounter San Antonio’s Quinton Whitaker (7-7, 5 KOs) in a non-televised, six-round junior middleweight match.

For tickets ($75, $50) to the eight-bout card, call 800-736-1420 or visit ticketmaster.com.