Arum Is Prepared to Put on the Gloves to Prove Innocence

Bob Arum, under investigation by the California State Attorney General’s office for making improper payments to the International Boxing Federation in 1995, said he will be exonerated during a trial against the organization in New Jersey.

Arum, himself, made the claims regarding the payments in a declaration on file in the U.S. Attorney’s office in New Jersey.

“I resent categorically the insinuation that I committed a crime,” Arum said. “I can’t say more now without betraying the government’s trial. You’re seeing a small piece of the big picture. It will all become clear when I testify in the criminal trial against [IBF president] Bob Lee.”

In his declaration, Arum said he made two $50,000 payments to get the IBF to sanction a fight between heavyweights George Foreman and Axel Schultz.

That was made public in a Times story nearly two months ago. Then Arum announced two weeks ago that he planned to promote a blockbuster fight at Staples Center between his fighter, Oscar De La Hoya, and Shane Mosley. The California State Athletic Commission subsequently asked Deputy Attorney General Earl Plowman to look into Arum’s involvement in the IBF case.

According to Plowman, the California promoter’s license held by Arum could be revoked under Rule 391, which gives the commission the power to discipline someone whose actions it deems are “detrimental to the best interests of boxing.”

Plowman said that when he completes his investigation, which may or may not be before the June 17 De La Hoya-Mosley fight, he anticipates that Arum will be asked to testify before the California commission.

“If, after they read my whole testimony [in the trial], they still want me to come in and appear before the commission, I would be happy to do so,” Arum said. “They can make a judgment at that time, an informed judgment.

“They may want to take action against some promoters, but I am not one of them.”

THE BOTTOM LINE

When Plowman is finished, his findings will be turned over to the California commission, but, unless damaging new evidence emerges, it seems unlikely that anything will happen to jeopardize the De La Hoya-Mosley fight.

A sellout for De La Hoya-Mosley would bring in $8 million from the live gate alone. The state record is $700,000 for a 1990 fight between Jorge Paez and Tony Lopez in Sacramento.

As of Friday, 48 hours after tickets went on sale, 16,000 had been sold, leaving only about 3,500 remaining, all in the $300-$900 category.

With a 5% California tax on boxing shows, the fight figures to bring in $400,000 for the state, unless a proposed tax break goes through the state legislature.

With boxing here in a sorry state--programs at the Olympic Auditorium and Great Western Forum have been terminated--and with the prospect of the richest fight in state history about to be staged, the five-person commission will be under some pressure not to jeopardize that fight. Especially since Arum has not been prosecuted elsewhere for the payments he says he made five years ago in another state.

Under those circumstances, it is hard to see how the California commission, trying to revive a sport reduced to small shows in outlying areas, could justify taking action against Arum.

SURPRISE, SURPRISE

With three major organizations battling for sanctioning fees, it seems almost impossible for anyone to long remain an undisputed champion.

Lennox Lewis, for instance, won the undisputed heavyweight title from Evander Holyfield in November and now is in the midst of a dispute.

Lewis is scheduled to fight Michael Grant, considered the best of the young heavyweights, in New York’s Madison Square Garden April 29.

Although the World Boxing Assn. is allowing Lewis to fight Grant, ranked fifth by that organization, promoter Don King thinks Lewis should be fighting the No. 1 contender, John Ruiz, one of King’s fighters.

Ruiz is scheduled to fight Holyfield June 3.

Lewis and King are embroiled in a lawsuit over Lewis’ right to keep the WBA crown, despite his fighting Grant.

“I am representing law and order,” King said in court.

He was not charged with perjury.

QUICK JABS

Palm Springs hasn’t staged a boxing show in so many years that the exact date is unknown. But the sport will return Friday night at the Spa Hotel. It will be headlined by former World Boxing Council bantamweight and former WBA super bantamweight champion Raul Perez (59-5-3, 41 knockouts). He will take on Vale Lopez (26-2, 14 knockouts) in a junior lightweight main event.

Tonight at the L.A. Casino in Huntington Park, Jesse Magna (19-9-2, eight knockouts) and Hector Velasquez (27-7-1, 22 knockouts) will fight in the 12-round main event for the International Boxing Assn. Continental junior-lightweight championship. That title is vacant, as are many of those of the little-known IBA. Also on the card, which starts at 7 p.m., will be a 10-round lightweight match between Cesar Bazan (36-3-1, 24 knockouts) and Jose Baltazar (28-16-1, 23 knockouts).

Next Friday at the Quiet Cannon in Montebello, middleweights Nick Martinez (12-1, six knockouts) and Roberto Barro (8-0) will fight in the eight-round main event. The semi-main will be an eight-round welterweight match between Edgar Ruiz (16-2-1, 10 knockouts) and Omar Vasquez (7-11-3, five knockouts). First bell is at 7:30 p.m.