26.01.07 – By Michael Marley, BoxingConfidential.com: Bob Arum’s lips are sealed…well pretty much but not competely. The top man at Top Rank told me that those in the live audience at Anaheim Saturday and those watching on HBO are in for a major treat when they see what charismatic Jorge “Lollipop Cowboy” Arce is planning for a ring entrance. Although sworn, he said to secrecy, Arum did offer some tantalizing tidbits as he made me play a guessing game as to what special effects or dramatic touches Arce will offer to live and TV audiences..
“I’d like to tell you the whole thing because it is crazy, it is spectacular and it is unique,” Arum said. “But I can’t do that because Jorge would kill me.”
So i played a quiz game. Hey, Bob, so over the top that it outdoes Prince Naseem Hamed coming in on his magic carpet or flying saucer and nifty rug or whatever that thing was?
“Hamed was not even close to what Jorge is going to do,” Arum said. “Nothing in boxing history has ever approached this, trust me.”
I was going to mention how Wilbert “Vampire” Johnson used to be carried into the ring in a casket but why, I figured. should I ruin Uncle Bob’s festive mood? Why shouldn’t I et the veteran promoter’s creative juices just keep on stirring
So I guess Arce has some shtick that is better than coming in live and dead at the same time. Wonder where the old Vamp is these days, anyway? Perhaps sucking necks late at night back in Indiana. Maybe hoping for a title role if they remake “Blacula” in Watts.
But I digress. I just hope Arum and his little “Lollipop Cowboy” don’t make suckers of us all.
(mlcmarley@aol.com)