IMO Don King Really Didn't Respect Or Like Boxers

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by ThatOne, Jul 26, 2025.


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  1. ThatOne

    ThatOne Boxing Addict Full Member

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    The anecdote about him having a fish tank full of money and telling them they could keep as much as they could fish out. That's pretty demeaning. The anecdote of him refusing to lend Larry Holmes fifty bucks.. That's pretty demeaning. The anecdote of him telling Tim Witherspoon they eat pork in a camp he set up, unlike in Muhammad Ali's camp. That's pretty demeaning. I could go on...

    Tommy Gunn's manager in Rocky V, the worst Rocky of all, was based on Don King. Of course it was a caricature, just as Apollo Creed was a caricature of Muhammad Ali, but it captured King's essence.

    I wonder if Oscar and Bob Arum are as uniquely awful as Don King. To the argument he gave us great fights. Our moms could have sold Muhammad Ali.
     
    ThatOne, Jul 26, 2025
    ThatOne, Jul 26, 2025
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  2. Fergy

    Fergy Walking Dead Full Member

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    He was out for himself,as Most promoter s are/were.
    The stepping over Joe Frazier to get Foreman says it all.
     
    Fergy, Jul 26, 2025
    Fergy, Jul 26, 2025
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  3. Chuck Norris

    Chuck Norris Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    Perhaps. Don King was certainly a bad person. However to a large extent, King's negative image is largely due to his beef with HBO. They are the ones to populized the image of the evil promoter, who will do anything for a buck. Stuff like Only in America and other boxing documentaries for example.

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    Chuck Norris, Jul 26, 2025
    Chuck Norris, Jul 26, 2025
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  4. ThatOne

    ThatOne Boxing Addict Full Member

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    The awful promoter existed before King,. The protagonist's manager in Requiem For A Heavyweight bet on him to lose.
     
    Last edited: Jul 26, 2025
    ThatOne, Jul 26, 2025
    ThatOne, Jul 26, 2025
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  5. ThatOne

    ThatOne Boxing Addict Full Member

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    That's where he said I came with the champion and left with the champion when the champion were two different persons.. In the move the character who plays Belinda Ali said King, "Lives white, talks Black, and thinks green." She nailed him.
     
    ThatOne, Jul 26, 2025
    ThatOne, Jul 26, 2025
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  6. Rollin

    Rollin Boxing Addict Full Member

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    The Life and Crimes of Don King: The Shame of Boxing in America certainly paints him as an absolute SOB. I have a hard time believing most of it was fiction.
     
    Rollin, Jul 26, 2025
    Rollin, Jul 26, 2025
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  7. ThatOne

    ThatOne Boxing Addict Full Member

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    I saw the HBO documentary which was based on Robert Newfield's book. Is there anothet one? Thabk you in advance
     
    ThatOne, Jul 26, 2025
    ThatOne, Jul 26, 2025
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  8. Samart'sTeep

    Samart'sTeep Active Member Full Member

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    What else would you expect from a freemason boxing promoter?
     
    Samart'sTeep, Jul 26, 2025
    Samart'sTeep, Jul 26, 2025
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  9. Bigcheese

    Bigcheese Well-Known Member Full Member

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    He's probably a sociopath, I doubt he cares much about anybody other than himself.

    He's a smart guy but born to be a con man, if it wasn't boxers it would be someone else.
     
    Bigcheese, Jul 26, 2025
    Bigcheese, Jul 26, 2025
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  10. ThatOne

    ThatOne Boxing Addict Full Member

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    He killed two men.
     
    ThatOne, Jul 26, 2025
    ThatOne, Jul 26, 2025
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  11. McGrain

    McGrain Diamond Dog Staff Member

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    In fairness Norman Mailer and his crew were after King long before HBO. They liked talking about the killing and they liked talking about the mistakes he made. And it was pretty unfair - his big crime for them, I think, was quoting Nietzsche without being able to pronounce Nietzsche. All that said you're right about HBO - and King was probably an ******* so six and two threes really.
     
    McGrain, Jul 26, 2025
    McGrain, Jul 26, 2025
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  12. Rollin

    Rollin Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Not sure, I've only read the book.

    Cheers.
     
    Rollin, Jul 26, 2025
    Rollin, Jul 26, 2025
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  13. Seamus

    Seamus Proud Kulak Full Member

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    Always seemed like a nice guy. Carl, too.
     
    Seamus, Jul 26, 2025
    Seamus, Jul 26, 2025
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  14. Smoochie

    Smoochie Would deal with the devil for sum Greb footage Full Member

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    U can easily remove "IMO" from tidal op
     
    Smoochie, Jul 26, 2025
    Smoochie, Jul 26, 2025
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  15. ThatOne

    ThatOne Boxing Addict Full Member

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    You have King, you have Arum, you have DiBella, you have Oscar. King seems the worst of the lot. They're both close to one hundred, but Arum still has juice. Oscar has a disollute personal life, but I never read about him screwing over boxers. I like to believe you can get rich without being a dick.
     
    ThatOne, Jul 26, 2025
    ThatOne, Jul 26, 2025
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