Don King
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Image:Don King.jpg Don King (born December 3, 1932), is a flamboyant American boxing promoter who has worked with some of the most famous boxers in the 20th century. He is one of the best known promoters in boxing.
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Early criminal life and killings
Prior to entering the world of boxing, King was a con man and numbers racketeer in Cleveland, Ohio. In 1954, King shot and killed a man attempting to rob one of his gambling houses; the death was ruled a "justifiable homicide," despite the fact that King had shot him in the back.
In 1966, King was convicted of stomping to death an employee who owed him $600. Although he then embarked on a campaign of hush money payments and witness intimidation, he was convicted of second degree murder and given a life sentence. The judge reduced the conviction to nonnegligent manslaughter. Some found this ruling suspicious, as it was made during a private meeting with King's attorney in the judge's chambers, without the presence of the prosecutor or a court stenographer.
Career as a boxing promoter
He gained fame in 1974 by sponsoring the boxing match between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman in Zaire, popularly known as "The Rumble in the Jungle." He solidified his position as an influential promoter the next year by sponsoring a third match for Ali against Joe Frazier in Manila, the capital of the Philippines, which King named the "Thrilla In Manila."
Apart from Ali, Frazier and Foreman, he has promoted such boxers as Evander Holyfield, Félix Trinidad, Mike Tyson, Larry Holmes, Carlos De Leon, Wilfredo Benitez, Wilfredo Gomez, Roberto Duran, Julio Cesar Chavez, Juan Laporte, Edwin Rosario, Salvador Sanchez, John Ruiz, Hector Camacho, Christy Martin, Aaron Pryor, Alexis Arguello, Oscar de la Hoya, Hasim Rahman, Andrew Golota, and Chris Byrd.
Lawsuits filed against King
Muhammad Ali
In 1980, Muhammad Ali sued King for underpaying him $1.2 million for a fight with Larry Holmes. Ali settled for $50,000.
Tim Witherspoon
Tim Witherspoon sued King and won $900,000.
Mike Tyson
Mike Tyson sued King for $100 million. It was settled out of court for around 10-14 million.
Lennox Lewis
In May 2003, King was sued by Lennox Lewis, who wants $385 million from the promoter, claiming King used threats to pull Tyson away from a rematch with Lewis.
Lloyd's of London
Insurance company Lloyd's of London sued King for $350,000, claiming insurance fraud in a Julio Cesar Chavez fight that was cancelled. King was acquitted. He later took jury members on an all-expense paid trip to the Bahamas.
Connections to organized crime
King has been investigated for possible connections with organized crime. During a 1992 Senate investigation King took the Fifth Amendment when questioned about his connection to mobster John Gotti. In public, however, he has responded to mob allegations by calling them racist.
Eccentric behavior and style
Don King is well-known for his eccentric behavior and outlandish style. His catchphrase is "Only in America!". He has a rather unusual hairstyle, and is fond of wearing loud, brightly colored clothing and lots of jewelry. King is famous for his grandiloquence and malapropisms, a trait captured well on The Simpsons where a King doppelganger protested the IRS's "egregious miscarriagement of taxitude."
Popular culture
Don King has appeared in popular culture too. Recently, he was acted by Dave Chappelle in a skit about a "Gay America," promoting a boxing match between two homosexual boxers.