Legendary boxing promoter Don King returned to the big time boxing scene for one of his last times possibly.
Don King, a name instantly recognisable with the sport of boxing, has been quiet in recent years and more out of the limelight.
But it wasn’t long ago that boxing essentially was Don King.
A man who put on some of the biggest fights in history and over a significant period of time that saw him promote many great heavyweight champions.
The Cleveland native like his fellow Hall of Fame promoter and long time competitor Bob Arum of Top Rank have now gotten older, however.
Arum is still active but King has been seen less and less in big time boxing in recent years.
However ahead of this weekend’s WBC heavyweight title fight between champion Deontay Wilder and King-promoted fighter Bermane Stiverne, King rolled back the years at the age of 86 with some typically extroverted but razor sharp vocabulary at the final press conference:
“He has something (Wilder) in store on Saturday night that’s going to be a shock. That’s going to be a fighter of the year. Unquestionably.”
King had typical control of the crowd who could be heard laughing at times, as he touched on a number of subjects:
“There’s nothing more precious in life that you’re word. Your money comes and money goes but your word follows you forever. When he come out of retirement (Wilder) you going to be a Muhammad Ali. He had to lose too you know (looking at Wilder) in order to get there. When you lose on Saturday night you can be an Ali. It’s going to be a fantastic evening of boxing.”
Should Stiverne lose on Saturday night to Deontay Wilder this likely could be the very last big boxing event Don King will be involved in given his age.
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