As part of the 50th Anniversary of the Rumble in the Jungle we celebrate Don King, The Kingmaker

By James Blears

Inevitably and audibly, you tend to hear Don King long before you see him.

The sonorous baritone voice with a booming foundation bass tone, sonorously reverberates without the need for a microphone, as the ample, amplified self- proclaimed Emperor of Texcoco clambers and climbs to centre stage and holds court for an amused and sometimes bemused clamouring audience, peppered with a liberal sprinkling of mesmerised media.

The man who is equally at home quoting the bible, history and his very own homespun homerlies, is a phenomenon, one off and a tour de force, all rolled into one. Unique, every now and then controversial, he`s irrepressible and impossible to ignore.

Don King is flamboyant and gaudy. The jean jacket and the flags. But this belies his acumen for business, math and genius for PR, creating the greatest show on Earth and… far beyond.

Don celebrated his ninety third birthday on August 20th. He, his eternal sparring partner Bob Arum and Don Jose Sulaiman were born in 1931. Don and Bob are still with us, still working and still involved in boxing. Together the trio have transformed boxing with innovation, imagination, panache and ‘’Excitamente.’’ They are history makers.

Don was often a welcome, effeversant and irrepressible guest in the Sulaiman household. As a child, WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman remembers Don and Muhammad Ali holding court in the family living room and Don relishing Dona Matha`s meals. An appetite for food and a thirst for life and its living.

Years ago in Miami, when Don was celebrating his eightieth birthday, he momentarily mused about longevity, quipping that the anniversary experience in the words of the ghetto is: ‘’SKD…something kind of different.’’ Then he chuckled and modesty added: ‘’I transcend earthly bounds. I never cease to amaze myself.’’

His extraordinary connection to boxing started, when he convinced Muhammad Ali to box a charity exhibition to raise funds for a financially ailing hospital in Cleveland.

His rise to fame was intwined with the now legendary Rumble in the Jungle, convincing the quixotic and unpredictable President of then Zaire, Mobuto Sese Seko to cough up the then unheard of King`s Ransom of ten million dollars to pay Muhammad Ali and Big George Foreman.

Then the follow- on Thrilla in Manila and many other memorable fight nights. Don King often promoted multi world titles on the same night. Poker de Ases, springs to mind. Don was involved with most of the world`s most famous boxers and their spectaculars.

The Azteca Stadium record breaking crowd watching Julio Cesar demolish the audacious Greg Haugen who came to regret saying that one hundred and thirty- six thousand Mexicans couldn`t afford to pay for the tickets. Off colour and not quite the ticket. And the taxi driver quip which elicited castigation and ring punishment prior to reconciliation.

Daughter Debbie and Son Carl, five grandchildren and three great grandchildren now take up quite of a bit of Don`s time. In years gone by he promoted the Jackson`s Victory Tour. Every Christmas he distributes two thousand turkeys to Floridians.

One reporter once asked Don, who is accomplished at making dough: ‘’If you were a betting man, which boxer would you chose?’’ He didn`t hesitate in replying: ‘’ I don`t bet, because in do doing, you could lose!’

‘’If you cast your bread on the water and you have faith, you`ll get cash back. If you don`t have faith, you`ll get…soggy bread.’’