Former Las Vegas boxing executive, sportscaster dies

Long earlier the Golden Knights, Raiders and an upcoming Super Bowl called Las Vegas home, the sports satellite acceptable its eyes connected the large title boxing bouts negotiated and staged by Strip resorts sports enforcement Bob Halloran.

“A bygone era,” said Bob Arum, CEO of the boxing promotional institution Top Rank. “He was an integral portion of the boxing concern during its aureate age. He was a very, precise terrific guy.”

Halloran, who ascended from a young section sportscaster successful Florida to a revered boxing enforcement successful the amusement superior of the world, died Sunday successful Rancho Mirage, Calif.

He was 87.

He was a sports enforcement astatine the Caesars Palace and the Mirage from the precocious 1970s to the aboriginal 2010s, staging combat nights that enactment boxing icons successful the ring, to include: Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard, Julio Cesar Chavez, Oscar De La Hoya, Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao.

“We widen our sincere condolences to the Halloran family,” MGM Resorts International said successful a statement. “Bob played a important relation successful establishing Las Vegas arsenic the location of title boxing and leaves down an important bequest successful the sports industry.”

Halloran “was an important fig successful our history,” UNLV historiographer Michael Green said Tuesday, noting during the clip Caesars hired Halloran successful 1978, Las Vegas was establishing itself arsenic the “boxing capital” of the world.

But the metropolis was besides successful a transitional period, Green said, erstwhile caller casinos were not being built and the edifice manufacture was shedding its mob ties and its “polyester” look.

Halloran’s boxing events were fixtures successful Las Vegas’ displacement into glamorous modernity, said Green, recalling a photograph of Jack Nicholson sitting ringside astatine 1 of the large fights, wearing sunglasses and gripping a martini, “of course.”

“He did a batch to marque it bigger,” Green said astir boxing’s legacy. “Most sports broadcasters don’t spell into the absorption side, astatine slightest to that degree.”

Sports broadcasting, and Cassius Clay

Halloran was calved connected April 19, 1934, successful New Bedford, Mass.

After graduating from University of Miami successful 1962, helium joined the Florida city’s CBS affiliate arsenic a sportscaster, earlier the nationalist broadcaster hired him arsenic a correspondent, dispatching him to grooming camps.

Halloran was said to person interviewed Muhammed Ali hundreds of times, but possibly his astir celebrated occurred successful the mid-60s erstwhile the U.S. authorities classified Ali — past a young combatant known arsenic Cassius Clay — eligible for the subject draught portion the Vietnam War raged on.

Working connected a tip, Halloran secured the exclusive talk.

“I ain’t got nary quarrel with the Vietcong,” the combatant was quoted arsenic saying.

Arum recalled the communicative connected Tuesday, noting that Halloran had showed up to Ali’s location and unplugged the telephone lines truthful helium would not beryllium scooped arsenic the quality began to spread.

Arum besides remembers combat promotional tours that helium embarked connected with Halloran, and however Halloran resembled histrion Robert Redford, past a large Hollywood star.

Women would swarm them astatine airports, Arum said. Halloran, who shared archetypal names with the actor, went on with. To not “disappoint them,” helium would motion autographs arsenic “Bob.”

“I privation determination were much radical similar Bob Halloran astir boxing today, who volition instrumentality it to the adjacent level,” said retired Boxing Hall of Fame referee Joe Cortez connected Tuesday.

Cortez officiated respective Halloran-staged mega fights.

“Bob meant truthful overmuch for boxing. He was a pioneer erstwhile it came to the improvement of streaming boxing successful the close absorption present successful Las Vegas, Nevada,” helium said. “When the past books are written astir boxing, the pioneers of boxing, Bob Halloran volition decidedly beryllium connected top.”

Halloran, an avid golfer who staged respective large tournaments and adjacent won a PGA lawsuit arsenic an amateur, went connected to beryllium inducted into the Boxing Hall of Fame successful 2012.

“There ne'er was a play people that helium didn’t love,” Arum said.

Friend and mentor

About six months ago, Bellator MMA CEO Scott Coker visited Halloran successful Southern California.

Coker had digitized interviews Halloran had conducted with the likes of Joe Namath, Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, Ali, Don Shula and different hallway of fame athletes, due to the fact that helium wanted to amusement them to him.

“It was unbelievable,” Coker said Tuesday. Although Halloran’s wellness appeared to beryllium deteriorated, helium recognized himself connected the surface erstwhile asked who it was.

Coker, who was “coming up, learning the planetary combat business,” organized kickboxing events astatine the Bellagio, wherever Halloran staged them from 1998 to 2007. The seasoned enforcement rapidly became a “good mentor” and a adjacent friend, helium said.

Halloran helped span the relationships betwixt the fighters, promoters and the resorts, said Coker, theorizing that it indispensable person not been easy, but “he made it happen.”

Coker said helium was saddened by Halloran’s passing, and that helium volition miss him, but that “his bequest volition spell on, and I’m truthful fortunate to telephone him my mentor and my friend.”

“One happening is sure, helium lived a bully life,” Arum said.

Contact Ricardo Torres-Cortez astatine rtorres@reviewjournal.com. Follow him connected Twitter @rickytwrites.