LAS VEGAS — Top Rank promoter Bob Arum, a staunch Democrat, said Wednesday he would welcome President Trump being in attendance for Saturday night’s heavyweight championship rematch between WBC belt-holder Deontay Wilder and lineal champion Tyson Fury at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. President Trump will be in town for a rally Friday, and there is speculation he might stay for the pay-per-view bout.
“If Trump asked to come to the fight, he’s the President of the United States, and he’d be welcomed,” Arum said. “I don’t know where we’d put all his security guys and so forth. I assume the commission would make room for him so finally he would get a good seat for a fight.”
Arum took time this week to vote in the Nevada caucus, revealing he voted for Joe Biden and likes Michael Bloomberg. He also said he likes “the woman,” Amy Klobuchar. Though he isn’t the biggest Trump fan, Arum would welcome the attention the president’s attendance would bring.
“If the President of the United States, whoever he is and however you feel about him, wants to come to an event you’re promoting, that’s pretty good,” Arum said. “He might not be in my party, but look how many more pay-per-views we can sell because the president was there. He has a tremendous following.”
Arum is calling Saturday night’s bout between Wilder and Fury, “the biggest heavyweight fight since Muhammad Ali-Joe Frazier in March 1971. That captured the attention of the country and the world,” he said.
Though it is debatable is this fight is comparable, what had been a cordial promotion took a more contentious tone during the final press conference Wednesday. Wilder and Fury exchanged shoves and did plenty of trash-talking during the session. Arum wasn’t surprised things got heated.
“My experience is fighters in big fights can be nice to each other, and then as the fight gets closer, the animosity comes out,” Arum said. “Even if they don’t feel the animosity as a person, it’s the animosity as opponents that comes out.”