Bob Arum / Photo © Marty Rosengarten / Ringsidephotos.com

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I'm debuting a new column today called Keeping Pace.  I'll be using this space to take a regular look at whatever is catching my eye in the world of boxing, both past and present.

Bob Arum...

Bob Arum is on a rampage and I can't help but love it.  I remember reading that he was on his last legs fifteen years ago from those who couldn't wait for the wear and tear of the promotional grind to finish Top Rank Inc. Yet here we are in 2010 and the 78 year old Hall of Fame promoter is still doing great business and doing it his way.

I might be enjoying it all a bit too much, but it seems to me that Arum knows his time is relatively short. If he wants to go out with both fingers in the air, I can't blame him.

Consider some of his recent successes.

Fernando Montiel is now #1 at 118lbs thanks to a shocking knock out of Japan's Hozumi Hasegawa a couple months back. Arum has had the Mexican battler in his stable for many years now and I think he knew exactly what type of quality fighter he was sitting on. Choosing to send his guy to the other side of the world made sense financially and presented the best opportunity available at the time.

The risk paid off. Now Montiel can headline those Latin Fury PPVs against "top ten contenders" while he waits for the big (for bantamweights) money.

Manny Pacquiao was already a great fighter when Arum took over his career, but now he's one of the most popular figures in sports. The numbers these two have done together are very impressive.

Miguel Cotto and Yuri Foreman just drew very well in New York.

Antonio Margarito came back before 18,000 fans in Mexico. He'll probably be available to fight Cotto at the end of the year. In fact, I did a quick check of the WBA's rankings and could only laugh when I saw that Margarito was at #1.

Last Saturday night Julio Cesar Chavez Jr entertained a load of people at the Alamodome when he pounded on John Duddy. After building both guys into draws he threw them in against each other only when it made sense, and it worked. The fact that Jr can actually fight a little is just icing on the cake.

You gotta hand it to the grumpy old timer for going so hard these days. This wild rally to close it out may just be enough to nudge him past Don King in terms of legacy in the sport. In fact, Arum could be the greatest who ever did it.

If he and his iconic client from the Phillipines smashed all revenue records against another cash cow by the name of Mayweather, that would be a great way to bow out, but don't be surprised if we're looking at Pacquiao-Cotto 2 instead.

Speaking of Chavez Jr...

I'm ready to call him a solid fighter. There's obviously a lot to work to be done, but the kid has a few things going for him. I like his demeanor in the ring. Surprisingly calm for a youngster and I like the way the punches flow when he can get set. The problem is he fights like his feet weigh 10 lbs each. Just horribly slow. Alex Ariza will definitely have to work on that. A few more fights and Freddie should have him moving his head some, as well.

I think it's okay to enjoy Jr now. We all know he's getting special treatment, but the fighter doesn't call the shots. As long as you leave the resentment behind and stay realistic with the expectations, he could be fun to have around.

What I've Learned This Week...

I've been watching a lot of old fight footage these days, including all I can find on the great Rodrigo Valdez.  Without question, the Colombian is one of the most underrated middleweights of all time and if you've never seen this fine fighter, I suggest you search his name on YouTube. A real pro and a pleasure to watch go about his business in the ring.

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