By Jake Donovan

Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum returned to the location of his very first US-based promotion on Tuesday afternoon at a press conference to formally announce the forthcoming middleweight title fight between Julio Cesar Chavez Jr and Peter Manfredo Jr.

The fight takes place on November 19 at Reliant Park in Houston, Texas. In the very same sports complex is the Houston Astrodome, where Arum made his US debut as a promoter in staging the 1966 World heavyweight championship between Muhammad Ali and Cleveland Williams.

Some 45 years later, the sport isn’t anywhere nearly as popular as it was. Then again, an era that boasted a prime Ali will naturally enjoy a greater share of the headlines. Despite its fall from grace through the years – once a leading American sport, and now limited to a cult following – Arum believes that the sport is back on an upswing.

“I’m very pleased with the direction of boxing,” Arum stated towards the end of Tuesday’s press conference, using the moment to boast the strong numbers his Top Rank promotional company is posting as of late. “The Anglos are once again returning to the sport, and more people are watching than has recently been the case.”

While wildly popular on the global level, the majority of stateside boxing shows seem to struggle at the box office. As such, Arum’s comments served as a head scratcher for those covering the event. That was, of course, until he revealed the secret to his company remaining recession-proof.

“Last weekend, Nonito Donaire made his debut at Madison Square Garden (specifically, The Theatre) in New York City, and fought to a sold-out crowd of 5,000 people. On November 12, Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez will engage in the third fight of their epic trilogy. Their fight sold out in two weeks. They managed a $12 million gate in just two weeks.

“On November 19, we fight here at Reliant Arena. We’re confident we will sell out the arena.”

A true sellout would mean that 8,500 fans will fill the venue, a number that seems attainable considering Chavez Jr’s popularity on both sides of the border and Top Rank’s penchant for loading undercards with local draws.

Despite Donaire being forced to the West Coast due to a suggested conflict, the non-televised portion of the show featured several ticket sellers from the New York City and Long Island area to make the Bay Area fighter feel welcome.

The fight itself turned out to be a dud, though most onlookers were forgiving considering that Donaire is rarely if ever in a bad fight. Still, it’s not a risk that Top Rank prefers to take, as the company prides itself in providing fan-friendly fights in fan-friendly venues.

“You just don’t ever know,” Arum admitted of the unfortunate occupational hazard of enduring a stinker of an opponent. “This Narvaez kid, he trained like a son of a gun and was supposed to be the true Argentine fighter that always comes to fight. But once he got hit by Nonito, he just stopped fighting.

It happens to the best of them, including the very best in the Top Rank stable – and according to most pundits, the very best in the sport today.

“Who knew that Shane Mosley would turn in the performance he did against Manny Pacquiao?” Arum asked in recalling the May pay-per-view headliner that was a bore in the ring but a beast at the box office. “Mosley, one of the bravest guys there is – once he got hit, he just didn’t want any more.

“But these things happen sometimes. You don’t like it, but even when you have fights you think are a slam dunk, you sometimes wind up with the occasional dud.”

The trick is to not expect a dud when the event is put together, or to put the fight in the wrong market. Case in point - staging a stylistic nightmare like the light heavyweight championship between Chad Dawson and Bernard Hopkins 3,000 miles away from where the East Coast-heavy fight card belonged.

“Hopkins-Dawson was always going to be a terrible fight. I wouldn’t have paid a dime to watch it,” Arum boldly states, without hesitation.

What he believes any self-respecting fan will gladly pay for is the show he deems as truly saving the best for last.

“Rounding out our year is the December 3 show at Madison Square Garden, which quite frankly is the best show of the year,” Arum proclaims. “Headlining that card is the rematch between Miguel Cotto and Antonio Margarito.  You also have Mike Jones and Sebastian Lujan, then Delvin Rodriguez and Pawel Wolak in a rematch to their sensational first fight. Finally, Brandon Rios against the terrific British kid, John Murray.

“And that show is well on its way to selling out.”

With the exception of Pacquiao-Marquez III, a common theme among each event is it taking place in real American fight towns, featuring fights that appeal to the region in which they are staged.

What has caught the observant eye of the soon-to-be-80 year old promoter is the changing demographic that is now supporting the sport.

“When Nonito Donaire fought in New York City, what I noticed was the number of young people that came out to support the fight. That’s the key, and that’s where having a great team comes in handy. I’m going to be 80 years old in December. I’m still alert but I can’t do this stuff like I used to.

“You look around Top Rank and you have young guys like Todd deBouf and Carl Moretti, guys who reach out to the fans via social networking, and who really know how to get the word out.”

If you rebuild it, they will come back.

Jake Donovan is the Managing Editor of Boxingscene.com. Follow Jake on Twitter at twitter.com/JakeNDaBox or submit questions/comments to JakeNDaBox@gmail.com.