By Michael Marley
Boxing promoter Bob Arum has been “sitting shiva” mourning the mountain climbing death of his 49 year old son, John B. Arum.
But the head of Top Rank, who is 78 years old, is returning to ringside Saturday night in Las Vegas for his company's “HBO Boxing After Dark” doubleheader at the Palms Hotel & Casino.
A friend said that the hardworking promoter has decided to throw himself into his work as the greiving process continues. Family and close friends, including his confidante and personal lawyer Mike Heitner, have drawn close to Arum ever since his attorney son, who specialized in environmental and tribal law in Seattle, was found dead near the summit of Storm King Mountain, part of North Cascades National Park, in Washington.
“Bob will be back at ringside Saturday night,” the friend said. “He's going back to work.”
Searchers located the missing mountain climber's body late Friday afternoon after an exhaustive air and ground search that began after the attorney did not return, as expected, from his ascent of the peak on Sunday.
His father rushed from Los Angeles to Seattle on Tuesday after conducting the first of three Antonio Margarito-Manny Pacquiao press conferences. Stepson and TR president Todd duBoef for Arum when the media tour continued to New York and then to Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
The Filipino superstar and the controversial Mexican will square off Nov. 13 at Jerry Jones' shining football palace, the same venue where Pacman handily outpointed Joshua Clottey on March 13.
The Palms bill features a featherweight title unification bout between Cuban phenom Yuriorkis Gamboa (18-0, 15 KOs) and veteran Orlando Salido (34-10, 22 KOs). A co-featured match pits unbeatens Anthony Peterson (30-0, 20 KOs) and Brandon Rios (24-0, 18 KOs).
Gamboa appears to be on a collision course with Puerto Rican star Juan Manuel Lopez but Lopez has upcoming business to settle against Mexico's proven and still rugged Rafael Marquez.
Rafael is the brother of two time Pacman foe Juan Manuel Marquez.
Michael Marley is the national boxing examiner for examiner.com. To read more stories by Michael Marley, Click Here .
