The King of the Ring - Don King
Don King coined the phrase, "Only in America." He lives it. He breathes it. He believes it. It's part of his soul.
King is the world-renowned promoter of boxing luminaries including Muhammad Ali, “Smokin’” Joe Frazier, “Big” George Foreman, Larry ‘The Easton Assassin” Holmes, “Iron” Mike Tyson, “Sugar” Ray Leonard, Roberto “Manos de Piedra” Duran, Julio Cesar Chavez, Evander “The Real Deal” Holyfield, Felix “Tito” Trinidad, Bernard “The Executioner” Hopkins, Ricardo “Finito” Lopez, Salvador Sanchez and Wilfredo Gomez—to name a few.
Don King’s first boxing promotion was staged in 1972 in his hometown of Cleveland and becomes the second-largest grossing exhibition ever in the state of Ohio ($80,000) featuring Muhammad Ali to benefit Forest City Hospital. King was also the first to guarantee the then-unprecedented amount of $10 million, split between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman to participate in the classic Rumble in the Jungle in Zaire, Africa, on Oct. 30, 1974. This prizefight also holds the distinction of being the first television-boxing event to be viewed by one billion people worldwide.
Indeed, the odds have always been long for King. A product of the hard-core Cleveland ghetto, he beat the system to become the world's greatest promoter. His shocking hairstyle, infectious smile, booming laugh and inimitable vocabulary have made Don King universally recognizable. He has been featured on the covers of Time, Sports Illustrated, Ebony, Jet, and countless other magazines. He has appeared in movies, television shows and on numerous television and radio talk shows. There was even an award-winning unauthorized movie loosely based on his life and numerous other attempts by Hollywood to depict his larger-than-life personality.
Inducted into the Boxing Hall of Fame in 1997, King was the only boxing promoter named to Sports Illustrated's list of the "40 Most Influential Sports Figures of the Past 40 Years." The New York Times published a list that included Don King among 100 African Americans who have helped shape this country's history during the last century. When asked recently in a private meeting with Mandalay Bay hotel executives in Las Vegas about what he would like on his epitaph, King quickly responded, "He worked for the day when all people would be clothed in dignity."
He established the Don King Foundation, which has donated millions of dollars to worthy causes and organizations. As a self-reminder of the economic hardship he endured growing up, King has gone into neighborhoods every holiday season and personally handed out turkeys to needy families. Don's "Turkey Tour" has given away hundreds of thousands of turkey dinners over the years in cities across the country during the holiday season.
At age 73, King has no plans to slow down. He gives full credit for his rise from the Cleveland projects to his mother, Hattie, who taught him the difference between right and wrong. Don and his lovely wife Henrietta spend time at their homes in Ohio and South Florida. Their family includes sons, Carl and Eric; a daughter, Debbie; and five grandchildren.
Buzz S&E – What does it mean now that boxing has come back to Chicago?
Don King – It means a great deal to the world of boxing because some of the most notable fights in boxing history were done here in Chicago. You know, during the Braddock years, bringing Jimmy Braddock back and the Cinderella Man, people praying in their churches and in their homes, if you know what I mean, to stand up and give the underdog a chance. That kind of spirit has made America what it is and Chicago has played a major part in it with some of the Tony Zales, Rocky Graziano, Sugar Ray Robinson’s. And Joe Louis the “Brown Bomber” getting his chance to fight the same James Braddock that beat Max Baer.
Buzz – Bill Wertz and the Chicago Stadium had a big part in Chicago’s boxing history.
Don – You better believe it. It’s a thing here where Bill Wertz, who’s just an incomparable guy, he loves his father, and in the memory of his father we had the Chicago Stadium and they were bringing in these big events. They had the IBC, in which they got a bad decision a monopoly in the anti-Sherman, antitrust. So it has all the ingredients, the decadence is what has the beauty and makes life what it is right here in Chicago. Then there’s the memorable and incomparable Frank Sinatra singing his song “Chicago, Chicago my kind of town, no matter where I roam Chicago bring me back home”. I love Bill Wertz. I love Bill Wertz’ sons Peter and Rocky. In fact he named Rocky after he got hit with a left hook by Rocky Marziano. So the thing is, is I think it’s just glorious that boxing is back in Chicago, and hopefully, Chicago will remember the history that you’ve had here and go out and help it become it’s future once again.
Buzz – You have become legendary thanks to your dynamic personality and your promoting ability. What drives you – Don King?
Don – Thank you. Don King is a man who lives to help others. The only way you can expiate for whatever your sins may be is to help others. And my life is a storybook where truth is stranger than fiction. It’s been phenomenal because it’s filled with people situations. I’m a promoter of the people for the people and by the people.
Buzz – You’re definitely a people person.
Don – Oh yes. My magic lies in my people ties. Meeting and greeting people is what keeps me going. I love people and relationships. It’s not about the money, it’s not about what we would of, could of should have done, it’s about what we do. So it’s indicative of living for today and that all people are clothed in dignity, not judged by their complexion, by the pigmentation of their skin, but by the character in their heart. So I look at people and see people. I don’t look at people and see color. This is something that I’ve learned and it’s beginning to come around to the rest of the world, it’s coming back around to understanding that we need each other and that we are our brother’s keeper.
Buzz – What was it that got you into promoting in the first place?
Don – Helping a hospital in Cleveland. It was a hospital with financial woes. It was a black hospital, the only one in the community, because at that time segregation was imposed. And they couldn’t provide medical treatment; this hospital was suffering from pharmaceutical needs and getting insurance to come in. So Muhammad Ali and I did a benefit for this hospital and the rest of it is history.
Buzz – You’ve had a long, illustrious career in which you’ve witnessed many historical bouts. Is there a fight that sticks out to you more than others?
Don – Oh, I have a lot of favorite fights. Most all of them are my favorite. But during my years “The Thrilla in Manilla”, “The Rumble in the Jungle”, “The Last Hurrah” but the “Thrilla in Manilla” was definitely one of them with Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali. The “Rumble in the Jungle was another with George Foreman and Muhammad Ali. There have been great super-fights with Roberto Duran, Sugar Ray Leonard and your classics with Larry Holmes and Ken Norton, real classics. I’ve witnessed many great battles with top athletes from around the world. I mean one would just outdo the other and, at first, I never knew how it kept happening, only through God and faith in God that it happened. I never could have done it by myself. I’ve come this far by faith, leaning on the holy word and it’s never failed me yet.
Buzz – So you are a very religious man?
Don – Yes, yes. That’s the only way I could make it. I couldn’t make it any other way. Too many enemies beleaguer me. There are too many devils flying all kind of ways. All I can do is pray and submit to God and let him be the fighter, let him be my refuge, let him be my stronghold and my sword.