He’s been called the “greatest boxing promoter in history”
by many, but Don King’s notoriety and zany hair have always claimed the media
spotlight. AllHipHop.com just sat in with the legendary boxing promoter for an
exclusive interview, where he talks boxing, God, and country.
In Part 1 of 3, the sometimes elusive King, along with his
business advisor Steve Marcano of My LiL Star products company, is surprisingly
open and equally elated to share his most recent announcement – a major
fight card on December 17 in Miami.
In fact, King is billing his latest venture as the
“Christmas Party” that just may save the sweltering City of Miami’s ice cold economy…
AllHipHop.com: Tell
me about your big upcoming fights on December 17.
Don King: On
December 17, there’s going to be a Christmas party, a festival in Miami at the
Triple A Arena, which is the American Airlines Arena. And it’s going to be like
the rebirth of Miami, because you know the economy has crashed down on everyone
in the country, and especially in the Oasis of Heaven – that’s down here
in Miami, with the foliage and the activity and the excitement and the beach. So
we’re going to start a new beginning of bringing back great attractions, you
know what I mean? It will be a Community Unity effort to bring everybody, you
know what I mean?
AllHipHop.com: Who’s
on the card?
Don King: The Cuban
gold medal winner Odlanier Solis – he’s a defector that came here
fighting for freedom, and we also have Angelo Santana – we call him ‘The
Swimmer.’ He is a young kid that dived into the ocean and swam to Miami. He got
picked up like you hitchhike on the street, but hitchhiking boats and thumbing
a ride on the boats, and the boats would pick him up until here got here to the
Land of Freedom in America here. So he will be on the card also. He’s a
defector.
And Ray Austin, who is the #1 contender for the WBC World
Heavywieght Championship eliminator. The one who wins the fight will go
directly into a title fight against Vitali Klitschko.
And then you’ve got Tavoris Cloud, and he is the light
heavyweight champion of the world. They are now in the process of getting an
opponent for him, and he will be defending his crown as the IBF Heavyweight
Champion of the world. He’s a remarkable young man who just fought back on
August 7 in St. Louis, and it was a remarkable fight between him and Glen
Johnson. That was a great fight.
So now, you’re gonna have along with that, all the different
guys – the champion from Haiti – that’s Bermane Stiverne, he will
be working. And there’s a heavyweight elimination match, and you’re gonna have
Kertson Manswell, coming out from Trinidad and Tobago. He will be fighting a
heavy weight elimination match.
So it’s going to be a super sensational card, which will
bring the community, and bring all people together in the community of Miami.
But we’re going to be doing it where it’s gonna be a charitable affair with the
Kiwanis, that’s going out to help people in all ways and means of coming
together. It’s education and healthcare and working that end. So it’s something
that’s going to be quite exciting, because it’s going to be a people’s
promotion.
AllHipHop.com: Is
there a TV deal on the table? HBO or anyone?
Don King: Right now,
we’re building it from scratch, so we’re letting them all come. There’s going
to be Spanish TV and mega-radio, all the Spanish stations will be there. We’re
going to do a 24-7 Spanish show that will be shown all over Spanish TV. We’d
like to do HBO with this, and we’re going to put it into all the TV stations
that want to be a part of a great extravaganza. We want 20,000+ people in the
arena, and we want a big screen on the outside wall for all of the people who
can’t get in can see it from out in the streets. It’s going to be a festive
time.
And, we’re going to the Freedom Tower, which is across the
street from the American Airlines Arena, and we’re going to have a big program
there and a press conference in the next week that will symbolize freedom. We
want a nationalistic approach to bring it to a local level where people are
committed to freedom, justice, and equality. Though many of us still have not
gotten it yet, this is something we want to emphasize. We’re in progress, we’re
in the struggle. Frederick Douglass said, “Without struggle, there is no
progress.’ So we’re going to be fighting for a better America, and using the
Cuban defections to symbolize what we do have at home. It’s not to be denied to any of us. We have to deal with what is real, and we have to knock out the symbols
of injustice and hatred and divisiveness.