Jamaica, Japan, Venezuela and then Zaire Why did Foreman never fight in the US in his first stint as World Champion? Is there a reason for this or is it just one of those strange things that happens?
Yeah, I was thinking maybe something like that. Or some promoters issues or something. Can't find any info on it though. Surely one of Classic's boxing boffins knows the reason.
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Biggest mistake George ever made was taking the Ali Fight in Zaire instead of a fight in the air conditioned Astrodome in his home town.
Why would Don King do that though? I know the president of Zaire gave a substantial amount of money for the fight to be held there, was it the same situation elsewhere?
I know what you mean. I get the feeling if I broke into his house, I'd find at least two gold-plated toilets. :huh I read George's auto but I can't remember what he said about this, directly, exactly. I'll try and have a look, later. I know the book's around here, somewhere. I'm pretty sure it was related to King's, uh, financial strategy, in some way. They almost didn't let George out of Venezuela, I think it was? A rocky way to go.
I'd appreciate that. Just reading Four Kings (finally got round to buying it) and the author talks about how the promoters for Dempsey vs Gibbons convinced all the local businesses in Shelby, Montana to pay for the fight. Convinced them it would put them on the map. In actual fact it bankrupted them but the promoters got their dough. Don Kings Shelbying world tour?
Really? I read the other day that the president of Zaire put up $4m of the money for it to be in his country. What motivation would a Brit have for staging it in Zaire?
Mobutu put up the moolah, but it was a British company led by a couple of big boxing fans that got him to do it. Where DK came in was getting the fighters signatures. DK gets too much credit for that event. He played a big part, yes. But not as big as people think.
John Daly, of the Hemdale Film Coproration, was part of the consortium that wanted it staged in Zaire, as was Don King. Obviously President Mobutu was keen for his country to stage such a contest. Jamaica holding the George-Joe hiding was down to the highest bidder, with the other main option being the Houston Astrodome. With the Roman fight, a Japanese promoter, whose name escapes me, won the bid for Foreman to defend against Roman instead of a potential Bugner fight at Earls Court- more cash + easier contest (well, a bit easier, this was only Joe Bugner after all). :yep
i don't think Don King even had much power in boxing until Zaire. and, yes, it was an American satellite broadcasters called Video Techniques Inc. and a british-based film company called Hemdale that did the promotion. King was a front man, he liased with the fighters and he fit the all-black theme of the fight he may have been involved in Foreman's earlier title fights but only as a peripheral character. he couldn't have dicatated anything like the countries to stage fights in.