King, Don

Don King

1931-

American boxing promoter

With his trademark "gravity-defying" hair, the image of Don King has hovered over professional boxing since he helped put together the "Rumble in the Jungle" in 1974, in which Muhammad Ali regained his championship title from George Foreman . All the elements that have marked King's career came together in his first big match: brilliant showmanship, the ability to massage outsized egos, and shady financing that left a number of people—though not Don King—unpaid and unsure where the money went. Since then, King's legend has grown to the point where his own fame, with a few exceptions, eclipses the various heavyweight champions and challengers he's promoted.

Early Years

Donald King was born in Cleveland, Ohio, on August 20, 1931, in a Depression-era ghetto. On December 7, 1941, King's father was killed in an explosion at the steel factory where he worked. With the small insurance settlement, Don King's mother Hattie relocated the family to a middle-class neighborhood. When the money ran out, Hattie began to bake pies, which her sons sold along with bags of roasted peanuts. As a sales gimmick, Don and his brothers began to slip a "lucky number" into each bag, a habit that soon made them very popular with the local gamblers and numbers runners.

As a high school student, he began to take an interest in boxing, entering Golden Gloves tournaments as "The Kid." After being knocked cold in a few early bouts, The Kid decided that boxing was not the way to go, at least not inside the ring. Instead, he began to focus on the numbers rackets that he had encountered as a boy selling peanuts. After being accepted to Kent State University, he decided to spend his summer after high school working for a numbers runner, to raise the tuition money. Unfortunately, after hustling all summer, he lost a winning betting slip and had to make up for it out of his own pocket, putting his college plans on hold. While he did eventually take a few classes at Case Western University, he decided that college was an unnecessary diversion.

Instead he set himself up in the numbers business, and by the time he turned 20, he was a well-established and successful numbers runner. He soon began to show the panache that would mark his career, buying fancy clothes and driving around town in shiny new cars. At the same time he began to reveal the talents that would make him more than a flash in the pan. He used an insider's tips to rig a popular numbers game based on stock market results, reducing his risk to 200:1 odds while collecting at 500:1 odds. This complex system worked well enough to make Don King the most successful "numbers banker" in Cleveland by the time he was 30. And King had also emerged as a man to be feared. In December of 1954, he shot to death a man named Hillary Brown who was trying to rob one of King's gambling houses. The killing was ruled a "justifiable homicide."

A Prison Education

King's next brush with the law would be much more serious, and would very nearly cost him everything. On April 20, 1966, Don King walked into the Manhattan Tap Room and spotted a man by the name of Sam Garrett—a former employee in King's racket who owed him $600 on a bet. Sickly, small, and drug-addicted, Garrett was no match for King. But King was in no mood for forgiveness. Their argument very quickly turned into a brawl, and then a beating in the street outside the bar, a beating that ultimately left Garrett dead from his injuries. King claimed self-defense, and witness accounts vary, but for the first officer on the scene, the beating was a brutal, almost demonic assault. In an interview with sportswriter Jack Newfield, Officer Bob Tonne said he saw "a man's head bouncing off the asphalt pavement like a rubber ball. Then he saw another man standing over him with a gun in his right hand, applying another kick to the head." Even after he was subdued and the fight was over, "King got in one last vicious kick that Tonne would never forget."

Chronology

1931	Born August 20 in Cleveland, Ohio
1950-67	Numbers runner in Cleveland
1954	On December 12, shoots and kills Hillary Brown, who is attempting to rob one of King's gambling houses. The shooting is ruled a "justifiable homicide."
1967	On April 20, beats Sam Garrett to death. Convicted of second degree murder, but sentenced on a reduced manslaughter charge, to Marion Correctional Institute, in Ohio.
1971	Paroled on September 30
1972	Brings Muhammad Ali to Cleveland to fight in exhibition match on behalf of a local black hospital
1973	Becomes co-manager of Larry Holmes with Don Butler, by 1975 Butler has been eased out (he later sues King)
1974	Promotes "Rumble in the Jungle" between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman
1975	Promotes "Thrilla in Manilla" between Ali and Joe Frazier, often considered the greatest boxing match ever
1977	Investigated by FBI for doctoring fighters' records; no charges filed, but ABC cancels contract with King for several fights
Early 1980s	Again investigated by FBI as part of larger probe in boxing; no charges filed
1983	Granted full pardon for earlier murder conviction by Governor of Ohio
1984	Indicted on insurance fraud charges, with secretary Constance Harper
1984	Promotes Michael Jackson's reunion "Victory Tour" with Jackson brothers
1984	Indicted on insurance fraudcharges, with secretary Constance Harper
1985	Acquitted of insurance fraud (Harper found guilty)
1985	Found not guilty of insurance fraud (Harper found guilty)
1988	Sued by Larry Holmes for $300,000 (settles for $100,000)
1988	Signs Mike Tyson
1995	Tried on wire fraud charges stemming from the insurance fraud investigation; case ends in a mistrial
1998	Acquitted in second trial for wire fraud
1998	Sued by Mike Tyson for $100 million
2002	Sues longtime rival Bob Arum for "stealing" heavyweight Julio Cesar Chavez

Awards and Accomplishments

1974	Promotes "Rumble in the Jungle" between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman
1975	Promotes "Thrilla in Manilla" between Ali and Joe Frazier, often considered the greatest boxing match ever
1975	Man of the Year, National Black Hall of Fame
1976	Urban Justice Award, Antioch School of Law
1976	Heritage Award, Edwin Gould Society for Children
1976	Man of the Year, NAACP
1980	Citation for Outstanding Support and Service, U.S. Olympic Committee
1981	George Herbert Walker Bush Award, President's Inaugural Committee
1981	Award of the Year, National Black Caucus
1983	Promoter of the Year, North American Boxing Federation
1984	Humanitarian Award, World Boxing Council
1986	Merit Award, Black Entertainment and Sports Lawyers Association
1987	Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Humanitarian Award, Jamaica America Society and U.S. Information Service
1997	Inducted in Boxing Hall of Fame
1998	Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters, Shaw University, Raleigh, NC

Despite reports of witness intimidation and attempted bribery, King was convicted of second-degree murder. Normally, this would have meant a life sentence with eligibility for parole after eight and a half years. Oddly, the presiding judge—in a highly controversial decision reached in the privacy of his chambers—set aside the execution of the sentence, in effect changing the conviction-to manslaughter, which allowed King to emerge from prison in less than four years.

There is no question that Don King used his years in prison to great advantage. He read widely in literature and philosophy, getting the education he had bypassed before. As he put it himself: "I didn't serve time. I made time serve me." He also managed to purchase from a Cleveland city councilor a 40-acre farm for a mere $1,000, a decidedly small sum for such a property. Interestingly, the farm was occupied by a woman named Hattie Renwick, a widow who eventually married Don King.

The Promoter

On September 30, 1971, Don King emerged from prison considerably wiser and wealthier and with more faithful friends than the typical ex-con. One friend in particular would set him on the path to fame and fortune. Lloyd Price was a very successful singer-songwriter who had been performing benefits and concerts at a tavern owned by Don King since 1959. The two had become fast friends, and the day after King's parole, Price flew to Cleveland to offer his support and advice. It took a little while, but in June of 1972, Don King came up with an idea that would require Lloyd Price's assistance.

A local black hospital had fallen on hard times, and King came up with the idea of holding a charitable event to rescue it. The centerpiece would be a couple of exhibition matches with Price's good friend Muhammad Ali—that is, if Ali could be persuaded to do the event for a man who had never promoted a boxing match in his life. Price made the necessary introductions, and King's unstoppable flow of words did the rest. Ali agreed to participate, and the match was a success, although there is some question as to how much money the hospital ultimately received.

Don King had found his calling—and very soon, the world would know it. The fledgling boxing promoter convinced Ali and his Nation of Islam managers that they were morally obligated to do business with a black promoter. As if to cinch the deal, about this time King claimed to have received a sign from God, when his natural Afro uncurled itself into the shock of hair that the world would soon recognize as his trademark. Over the years, the story would grow more elaborate, to the point where he claimed his hair could not be cut or combed, and electric shocks would fly from it when barbers got too close with shears or scissors.

Rumble in the Jungle

In 1974, King put together a title fight between the champion, George Foreman, and challenger Muhammad Ali. To add a note of black pride, he decided to hold the event in Africa, in Zaire, and coined it the "Rumble in the Jungle." He promised each of the contenders $5 million, twice what any previous fighter had earned, and despite the suspicions of both Ali's managers and George Foreman, the corruption of Zaire's megalomaniac ruler Mobutu, and a five-week delay that threatened to torpedo the whole project, King pulled off a match that was a huge financial success for all concerned. Or nearly all. Lloyd Price, one of numerous singers who had flown in to perform on the night of the big fight, never received payment.

With Ali's title regained, and Don King firmly in his camp, the two began to plan his next big match. The result was the "Thrilla in Manilla," which put Ali up against former heavyweight champion Joe Frazier . Many consider this the greatest title fight in boxing history, adding a note of quality to King's reputation for mounting lucrative spectacles.

King's growing influence soon attracted the attention of the federal government, notably the FBI and IRS. After numerous investigations, the FBI concluded that the chaotic structure of modern boxing meant that King probably was not criminally liable for his shady deals, although it continued to watch him. He has also survived IRS investigations for tax evasion and a 1995 federal charge for insurance fraud, which ended in a hung jury. In fact, the jury convicted King's secretary, Constance Harper, while letting King himself off. A grateful King sprung for first-class plane tickets and ringside seats for the jurors. In addition, King has fended off a number of lawsuits from his own clients, but these have generally been settled out of court. As former heavyweight Larry Holmes, who settled for $100,000 after suing for $300,000, once put it: King "looks black, lives white, and thinks green."

Only in America

The world got a good sample of Don King's audacious tactical imagination and deal-making in February 1978 when he stole not a fighter but the heavyweight championship of the world.

On Februay 15, Leon Spinks upset the aging Muhammad Ali and won the title. Bob Arum promoted this fight and he had a contract giving him options on the fist three defenses by Neon Leon. This was not good for King….

Spinks revered Ali … and he promised Ali a rematch in September. King saw this honorable gesture as an opportunity to play boxing politics.

King called Jose Sulaiman, the president of the World Boxing Council (WBC), one of the comic regulating authorities, based in Mexico City, and convinced him to strip Spinks of his title for the crime of giving Ali an immediate rematch, instead of fighting the Number 1 contender, Ken Norton.

By stripping Spinks without due process or a fair hearing, Sulaiman created a second version of the heavyweight title, a great advantage to King, who had all the other contenders under contract.

Source: Newfield, Jack. Only in America, New York: Knopf, 1993, pp. 139-140.

As Muhammad Ali entered his declining years, especially after losing his title to Larry Holmes, Don King emerged more and more as the face of modern boxing. In fact, for a time in the 1980s, everyone who contended for the heavyweight championship was promoted or managed by Don King. As a Sports Illustrated reporter put it in 1990, "Boxing is run out of King's right-hand drawer." And it wasn't just his business savvy. Heavyweight champions like Michael Dokes, Mike Weaver, and Trevor Berbick did not resonate with the public the way Don King did. Only one recent boxer, Mike Tyson , has eclipsed Don King's fame—or notoriety. When Tyson lost his title and then went to jail on a rape conviction, it seemed to some that King had lost his last big meal ticket.

But Don King has gone ever on. Promotions (including a brief detour into the music industry when he promoted the Jacksons's Victory Tour in the late 1980s), law suits, grand schemes for reviving the sagging fortunes of heavyweight boxing, intense rivalries with other promoters, all continue to fill the busy life of Don King. Even Mike Tyson returned to the fold after his prison term, earning more money for the promoter, although he has since sued King for $100 million. Undoubtedly, many boxers and promoters wish Don King had never entered boxing, but they might consider two of his legacies. First, he dramatically increased the prize money for fighters. Second, and rather more importantly, he brought a charisma and undeniable showmanship to a sport that has always depended on such fireworks to attract the public's interest, and the money that flows from that interest. As King himself once put it: "I never cease to amaze myself. I say this humbly."

FURTHER INFORMATION

Books

Newfield, Jack. Only in America: The Life and Crimes of Don King. New York: Knopf, 1993.

Periodicals

"Don King Trying to Resurrect the Heavies." Washington Times (September 14, 2002): C1.

Hauser, Thomas. "Corner Man." Nation (August 28, 1995): 189.

"The King's Reign." Sports Illustrated (July 14, 1997): 15.

Kirshenbaum, Jerry. "They Said It." Sports Illustrated (October 15, 1984): 26.

Llosa, Luis Fernando. "Inside Boxing." Sports Illustrated (May 21, 2001): 74.

"Main Event: Tyson-King." Sports Illustrated (March 16, 1998): 16.

Raab, Scott. "The Last Boxing Story." Esquire (August 1998): 94.

Reilly, Rick. "Your Hair-raising Gall: Nice Try, Don King, but You Can't Steal Buster Douglas's Title." Sports Illustrated (February 19, 1990): 90.

Steptoe, Sonja. "Tyson's Trials." Sports Illustrated (May 18, 1992): 13.

Wulf, Steve. "A Win by Split Decision: Thanks to a Hung Jury, Boxing Promoter Don King Ducks Under Federal Charges of Insurance Fraud." Time (November 27, 1995): 83.

Ziegel, Vic. "The King of Boxing: How Did Don King Get to Promote Michael Jackson? You'll See." Rolling Stone (January 19, 1984): 13.

Sketch by Robert Winters