Top Rank founder and CEO Bob Arum enjoyed a series of spectacular results in Hong Kong this weekend after Kuok Kun Ng a.k.a. “The Macau Kid,” and Hong Kong’s Rex Tso both scored fourth-round knockouts. Arum’s Top Rank operates as a promoter for both boxers.
Kuok beat Weerachit Kitee of Thailand by knockout in the fourth round after previously sending his opponent down twice and having referee Amnart Saichalard call a halt at the 2-minute mark.
This takes Ng’s winning streak to nine fights, just days after finishing his second-year university examinations. The Macau-born fighter, who is studying sports education, defeated his rival through his trademark uppercut.
Meanwhile, 28-year-old Tso defeated South Korean fringe contender Young Gil Bae in the evening’s main event. Tso is now ranked among the top 10 according to all of the major sanctioning bodies.
“Right now, my mind is blank. I’m very emotional right now,” Tso told the South China Morning Post, after bringing his win record to 19-0 with 12 knockouts. “Thank you Hong Kong for your support,” he added.
Bob Arum
Regarding the weekend bouts in Hong Kong, Bob Arum says that show was “very successful,” and two of his three Macau-based fighters walked away victorious.
“We put it [the show] on in Hong Kong because there is tremendous appetite for boxing there. We also felt that we had an obligation to KKN [Kuok Kun Ng] and we don’t want him to lose out as there are no fights in Macau [these days].”
Bob Arum held a series of events at the Venetian Macao’s Cotai Arena in recent years, including among many others, fights featuring Manny Pacquiao, Zou Shiming and Brandon Rios. However, without continued support from casino operators, he recently decided to opt for nearby Hong Kong as a venue instead.
“We started [here in South China] because of Macau, you know, when they were riding high, when they had a leadership that believed in entertainment. It made Macau a big destination for this sort of thing […] and because of what we did in Macau over the past few years, we have created a lot of interest in boxing among young people in Macau,” Arum told the Times.
Asked about how the Hong Kong event this weekend compared with those held in Macau not long ago, Arum explained that the “fans were very enthusiastic in Hong Kong… but [the show was] not as spectacular as the ones we held in Macau. But the write-ups [from the weekend] were very, very good.”
At a press conference in Hong Kong earlier this year, Arum said that the decline in casino revenue had been the catalyst for the relocation to Hong Kong, however yesterday he expressed an interest in returning to the MSAR.
“We still feel that there is a great appetite for boxing in Macau, and we would love to come back. But you need someone manning a property to have the same feeling about how valuable boxing can be to the resorts […] I believe that the loss of boxing is very short-sighted.” Daniel Beitler
On the next Philippine star
Bob Arum, in an interview with the Times, said he is hopeful that 33-year-old Nonito Gonzales Donaire could be the next big Philippine star in boxing if Manny Pacquiao follows through with his boxing retirement plans.
“There is a young man, who by some coincidence comes from the same town as Pacquiao, and who is a rising star. He spent a lot of time in the USA but has recently returned to the Philippines,” said Arum.
“[Donaire] just fought in Cebu a few weeks ago, where 25,000 boxing fans paid to watch his fight live in the city. The television rating was 24.7, meaning a quarter of television sets in the Philippines tuned in to watch his fight,” the Top Rank CEO added.
In the boxing world Donaire is known as “The Filipino Flash” for his quick hand speed and punching power. Top Rank is a promoter for the Philippine boxer.
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