DON KING - THE GENIUS OF PROFESSIONAL BOXING

DON KING - THE GENIUS OF PROFESSIONAL BOXING

The scandalous manager who made the impossible possible

In professional boxing, advertising forms about 50 % of the overall experience for the fan of the sport. The anticipation that is created for the initialing of the contract between the two boxers, the tension of whether the various parties will be satisfied with the terms and agree to participate and of course - the bet. All these things the boxing fan experiences alongside his favorites in the ring thanks to the promoters. Thus, the experience of the fight itself, instead of only within the framework of the clash, is also prolonged by the anticipation of it. In addition to creating the most attractive conditions for his client, the role of the promoter is to make him a star - the fine craftsmanship of this profession. And one of the people who mastered it is Don King.

Over the years, he worked with some of the most successful names in sports - Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield, Larry King and many others. With some of them, of course, the personal and the professional are intertwined in a series of conflicts, accusations and even legal battles. The main reason, of course, is money. However, the truth is that Don King is a man who stops at nothing. And while this is sometimes a problem for his clients, it is often this very quality that helps make it all happen.

An example of this is one of the historical battles that pass under the tutelage of Don King. The world will always remember "Melee in the Jungle" - the iconic battle of 1974. between then champion George Foreman and King's challenger and client Muhammad Ali. The promoter announces a record profit of 10 million dollars. Money that doesn't even exist. However, he managed to convince the host government of Zaire to give, with a promise that the spectacle would be worth it. He's not wrong. The fight was broadcast all over the world, and nearly 60,000 Zairians were lucky enough to be in the hall. The promoter with the eccentric haircut predicts and makes possible one of the greatest sporting events of the decade.

His undeniable flair for money and undeniable talent for seeing the diamond in the rough make Don King one of the most sought-after promoters to this day. Of course, the price of fame is high, both for King himself and for his clients. He has over 500 championship fights in his career. Alas, in his quest to amass immense wealth, King misused the vast funds to which he had access. So it turns out with several accusations from Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson, but not only. His controversial personality led to 35 arrests for various domestic offenses. Either way, though, King remains among the best in a sport where second place doesn't matter.

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