Exclusive: A Chat With Don King, The Legend, The Man

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.