A Conversation with Don King

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ED GORDON, host:

I'm Ed Gordon. This is NEWS & NOTES.

Don King has been the number-one boxing promoter in the world, and, arguably, the most powerful man in the sport for over three decades. He's getting ready for another championship fight this weekend. He talked to me from Madison Square Garden, where Zab Judah will defend his welterweight belt on Saturday. We conversed about a number of things, including his thoughts on charity and redemption. But, first, we talked about the timeless sport of boxing.

Does this ever get old for you?

Mr. DON KING (Boxing Promoter): No, because people are different. You know what I mean? You find people, some of the Old Guard, and then you get the new, you know, and so the advent of different people coming in and the messages is really the same where you're trying to bring people together and you're using boxing as a method or a catalyst, so to speak, to bring people together to make America better, black and white alike.

GORDON: Hey, Don, one of the things that people have talked about--and you know this better than anyone on the planet--is the idea that boxing, quite frankly, has lost some of its luster, that some of the stars that many of us grew up in the golden age of heavyweights, for instance, with Ali and Foreman and others and we just don't have it like we used to. Do you buy into that?

Mr. KING: No. I think that boxing has not lost its luster but what it has lost is its stars. You know, you gotta be able to develop new stars that will be recognized, that can relate and identify with the masses of the people. But I'm gonna tell you, man, it ain't the boxing. You know what I mean? The Boxing is getting a bigger and a broader thing but they don't have that hero that would bring that notability to the sport as it was with a Muhammad Ali, a George Foreman or a Larry Holmes. You got to be able to deal with what you have.

GORDON: If you take industries within America and you compare the boxing industry to the entertainment industry, to the auto industry, whatever industry you want to juxtapose it to, you are about the only man of color that you can really say is first and foremost in his industry. Do you think that you've received that kind of accolade?

Mr. KING: No, the racist mentality of my nation, which we are trying to deminimize, and which we are trying to work toward changing, to eradicating to extol the virtues of America. I extol the virtues of America, but by no means can you shortchange the racist in the prurient interests of America. It is here. You know what I mean? It's deeply interred into the soil of this great nation, and as far as people of goodwill, our job and mission is to try to eradicate, in fact, to change that or alleviate it to the much degree, and to change the mind of those who have an unfounded prejudice against another fellow American. I should say it's extremely difficult without becoming embittered and feeling sorry for yourself or drowning in your own tears. You know what I mean?

I look at the things that are happening today and I see what George Walker Bush, being the president of the United States, me, being an African-American, and I support him wholeheartedly, but they expect miracles in the days that they have--he's establishing democracy in Iraq, and they have never had voting as a privilege or even a thought for the entire history of their country. I think they've done exceedingly well to get as many people to the polls as they have got and they're mad at Bush 'cause it ain't happening faster. When all we got to do is look in the mirror of America and blacks are still fighting for the rights to vote.

GORDON: All right, Don, before we let you go, let me take you back to two things, political. I'm not going to get into a discussion with you about Bush. That's a bigger argument for you and some other folks but...

Mr. KING: I'm loving that. I do evoke a lot of attention when I say something about George Walker Bush...

GORDON: But one of the things...

Mr. KING: ...for one reason or another. You know what I mean?

GORDON: ...that has been brought up with you recently is whether or not you should have donated money to the Muhammad Ali museum. There was criticism that blacks with wherewithal did not give money to this institution as it opened to salute arguably the greatest presence in boxing that we've known, and, certainly, not only an African-American icon, but an American icon. Talk to me about these reports, Don King.

Mr. KING: Well, let me tell you that I don't know what they're talking about about any of that. Donating is one thing. Doing the event where you can get others to help you to donate is what my motto is, just like I'm doing for The Salvation Army but we're doing it for Katrina. I don't march to a drummer where anyone can tell me what I have to do, when I have to do it and how I want to do it. You know? I think the highest form of charity is being able to give. I mean...

GORDON: Yeah, but, Don, you know the connection about Ali and boxing and you. So what are we saying here, that you plan to do something down the line or this is just something, you know...

Mr. KING: Oh, yes, I'm gonna do something, but, you know, the people that counts, like Ali and Lonnie, they know. You know what I mean? So I'm not really interested in what the people say. You know? Hey, the game ain't over. You know what I mean?

GORDON: Right.

Mr. KING: And had I died yesterday and they said, `Oh, you know, he forgot to do something before he died for the Ali museum'--you know?

GORDON: Don, let me ask you this last question before we let you go. We appreciate your time today. And that is of a story that was in the news--and you come from a very interesting perspective because of your view of America, and, obviously, your personal view of redemption--many people know your history, having gone to jail for murder, etc., etc. The Stanley "Tookie" Williams case, when you talk about redemption and what can be done, what's your take on that?

Mr. KING: In my humble opinion, I think that the governor made a mistake. Tookie Williams--I think that he showed the type of redemption by going out and writing these books for kids and then going anti-gang concept after he was the founder of the Crips. You know what I mean? To make it there--the co-founder, I should say. And I thought that after 27 years of being incarcerated--You know what I mean?--and continuing to give it up in a manner that would be positive to prevent rather than to cure, to be able to bring people together and to respect the human personality, I thought that if, you know, whatever he has done, and as the God said--you know, as Jesus would say, you know, `Let he without sin cast the first stone.' You know what I mean? Whatever he's guilty of, you get the convictions--You know what I mean?--and you go with it.

This guy said he didn't do that. You know, he didn't plead innocent to everything else in his life. But he pleaded innocent to all that and he stuck with it and he went to his grave with it. So you've got to understand that if you can do this and you're reaching down to find out what soul-saving really is, then you can't condemn and, you know--and go back into that eye-for-an-eye--and unless you know you have a--someone that can bear witness and say that they saw you do this, not the jailhouse snitches that in order to get a favor will say whatever the authorities want them to say for their selfish and vested interests.

GORDON: All right, well, Don King, I've known you a long time, and I can say this: Never a dull moment. Back to the business at hand, it's the undisputed welterweight championship, Zab Judah and Carlos Baldomir, and it will be in Madison Square Garden this weekend and Don promises a super show. Don King, always good to talk to you.

Mr. KING: Yeah, let me say this. Let me answer that now. You said about--and thank you very much for Zab Judah and Carlos Baldomir, but you got a super fight with Jean Marc Mormeck and O'Neil Bell for the undisputed cruiserweight...

GORDON: Cruiserweight.

Mr. KING: ...championship. The ones that miss this show will be the losers, not nobody but the Garden--the Garden will be a sellout.

GORDON: Don King, the best salesman in America.

Thanks, Don.

Mr. KING: Only in America, my brother.

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