Don King Chicago Fighting Arts Magazine

By Bryan A. Bushemi, Managing Editor

Don King’s mantra is “Only in America.” And he means it. You can see it by the omnipresent flag he waves at just about every press conference he gives, by the iconic U.S.A.-themed denim-jacket and tie he’s sporting on the cover of this magazine, and by the myriad other instances where the Maestro of the Media Event wraps himself in the red-white-and-blue of this country’s colors.

But that’s selling the man short. Because Don King is worldwide. He’s one of the most recognizable people on the planet. On the television screen, he’s so much larger-than-life that just one country can’t contain the ebullience, pomp, and circumstance surrounding the man like an aura.

But he’s got a special place for this town in his heart. Of Chicago, King said recently, “I’m overjoyed to be in the Windy City! The Windy City’s where I began, because Muhammad Ali opened the door for me here, with Herbert Muhammad, and gave me an opportunity. I seized the time and grabbed that opportunity.” King names Chicago as one of the great fight towns, insisting it’s the nucleus of boxing, based on its long history in the sport. And because King is passionate about all things boxing, he says, “As Frank Sinatra said, it’s my kind of town!”

King’s appreciation of the Second City and its fight fans no doubt motivated his choice of Chicago’s United Center as the site of the first bout in his “All the King’s Men” heavyweight championship unification “tournament.” On May 21, King brought a big-time heavyweight championship match back to Chicago for the first time in almost 25 years, on a card headlined by a spectacular first-round KO win by WBO heavyweight titleholder Lamon Brewster over the local challenger and favorite Andrew Golota.

After the fight, King explained, “What we tried to do is bring in a championship match where both guys are trying to define themselves to come back to being recognized as the heavyweight champion. This card brought the people to their feet when boxing needed it the most. And I think that Chicago should be remembered and Chicago will be, because we’re coming back. We’re going to be back here on August 13 with another dynamic show in the process of elimination of establishing one undisputed heavyweight champion of the world!” He also said it’s a way to recognize and pay tribute to a great city that is one of the history makers not only in boxing, but also for the heritage of the entire country.

King called the card at the United Center great, adding jubilantly—but not necessarily exaggeratedly, as many who had the privilege to attend might agree—that it was “the show of the year, fantastic from bottom to top.” Living up to his image as a master of the sound bite, he went on to state, “This is what it’s all about. It’s the Cinderella card you want to see.”

King also waxed enthusiastic about the United Center as a venue for the fight, saying, “I can’t thank Bill and Peter Wirtz enough for joining me in this effort that will revitalize boxing.” The flamboyant mega-promoter added, “You’ve got to have people who want to work with you and work for you, and that’s why I love Bill Wirtz. Bill Wirtz is the throwback of the ages. His father before him had Comiskey Park and all the big fights.” In bringing big-time boxing back to the Windy City, the natural choice for a partner to do so was obvious to King. “We haven’t had a heavyweight title fight here in 24 years, and Bill Wirtz said, ‘We’ve just about had enough of the drought season,’ so he prayed and the rains came and he got me. We’re planting our seeds, and weeding and watering the plot, hoping to get a bumper crop in the evening. And the evening is about to come. We’re going to try to work out the details and bring it right back here again. On August 13, Hasim Rahman and Monte Barrett [will be] fighting for the [interim WBC] heavyweight title while [Vitali] Klitschko is incapacitated.”

Of the fans at the United Center, King was highly appreciative. “I must say there has not been a more electrifying crowd anywhere that I’ve been in the last year!” Of the 20,126 attendance recorded for the May 21 fights, he said, “I think it’s something that we all should recognize, that Chicago’s on the move and there ain’t no stopping her now.”

King gave credit to the fighters who made the night’s card as memorable as it was, heaping praise on newly crowned WBC Light-heavyweight Champion Tomasz Adamek, as well as his opponent in what might be the fight of the year, Paul “Hurricane” Briggs. Of the defeated heavyweight challenger, Andrew Golota, King insists that, “He’s fallen, but not forgotten,” calling him a great fighter and promising that if he was willing to prove himself in future fights, he could be in line for another title shot. King also named the victorious WBO Heavyweight Champion, Lamon Brewster, “the best heavyweight in the world.” The champ thanked him for the opportunity that finally cemented him as a force to be reckoned with in the heavyweight division. Brewster then returned the favor of giving King his due, calling him, “The greatest promoter of all time.”

And so, what does the world’s greatest promoter do next, after the achievement of settling all debate by crowning an undisputed heavyweight champion? King seems to be keeping what the future holds cannily close to the vest. “That’s [something] that never ceases to amaze me. Every time I think I’ve done the best that I can—‘The Rumble in the Jungle’ was a great show, then came “The Thrilla in Manila.’ Then Roberto Duran came in and he beat Sugar Ray Leonard. God is in the plan; he makes it happen. All I am is an instrument of His to do His good works.” When pressed about where it can possibly go from here, after what he calls a sensational program, a fight night where he felt like a fan first and a promoter second, King gave a smile every bit as dazzling as the jewelry sparkling off him like mini spotlights and said:

“Back to Chicago! My kind of town and my kind of people!”
I can only speak for myself, but I think that boxing fans in this city will agree that we’d be happy to have him back here anytime.