Did Don King ruin pro sports, boxing in general?

No, on the contrary Don King enhanced boxing (albeit at the expense of the fighters). He knew how to promote and to put on a show.

 

Nah, if fans refused to pay for example $100 for a PPV then boxing and sport in general wouldn't be in the greed fueled mess it's in.

 

Yes in a word.

He was largely responsible for the fragmentation of the titles that we see today.

 

The money has to go somewhere. Why not give the athletes their fair share so they can retire in comfort after sacrificing their time and health.

 

Rickard, Jacobs, Solomons, King, Duff, Mob, Gamblers, Backers, Money Men, Managers and others too...

all of them and more put a Stranglehold over Rules and Proper Elimination & Championship Competion.

 

I thought he was pretty good.

 

Just one in historical line of folk in boxing business who focused on the $$$$$$$$$$$$.

Just look at Rickard and Kearns doing the deals for Jack Dempsey, massive purses gained through harsh dealing (remember Shelby being bankrupted).

 

Put on some great nights during the 90s. Definitely didn't ruin the sport.

 

The day Don King dies I will write the meanest Eulogy the world has ever seen.

 

Athletes didn't just start "asking for huge contracts" like they were looking for some undeserved hand out. Pro sports was literally making billions of dollars on them, setting the market value for their services higher. It's basic supply and demand

 

Don King is a gangster from Ohio who should be behind bars for the murder of at least 2 people.

 

Greatest promoter a boxing fan ever had.

Before King, undercards were an afterthought. And, for the most, since he's been gone, they have been, too. (Although Eddie Hearn occasionally tries.)

I went to a Don King card one time and the only fight they were going to show on HBO that night was Brewster-Golota. That's it. And it only lasted one round. But I was at that card with a friend of mine for like seven freaking hours.

There were three title fights (only one was being televised in the States, mind you). It was Golota-Brewster, Adamek-Briggs I, Alejandro Garcia-Roshii Wells, a welterweight eliminator between Baldomir and Rodriguez (Baldomir won the title next time out), Guillermo Jones (who just won or lost a cruiserweight belt) fought another former cruiserweight champ Kelvin Davis, Devin Alexander fought on the undercard.

There were 20,000 people there. The place was packed. Everyone had a great time. Celebrities were there for hours. Not like Vegas were people stroll in for the main event.

He didn't have to do that. HBO was only paying for one fight. The Polish fans in Chicago would've shown up to see Golota no matter who else was on the card. But that's how King promoted. Load up the card. Give the people buying tickets something to watch.

I went to probably a dozen King cards in my life. They were all like that, no matter if it was PPV or a show where one fight was being televised.

And I went to a lot of shows by other promoters, and, trust me, they are all NOT like that. (LOL)

What fights were on the undercard Ali-Frazier I and Ali-Frazier II? What was the big card under Ali-Liston?

Hell, I believe it's on the Liston-Clark card. ABC televised. And they showed a little bit of an undercard fight between two heavyweights. You'll have to go to boxrec to find out who they are. They were nobodies. And they were a mess. That's why undercard fights weren't shown. They were by and large garbage filler. And that was the norm for a long time.

King just blew it out. When Mike Tyson went to prison, the massive shows King would put on with three or four title fights from all weight classes on a card, were just amazing. Some of the best nights I've ever had watching boxing with friends.

When King dies, that's what I'll remember.

There were no Don King $100 PPVs like Mayweather-Pac where, for the life of me, I have no idea and zero recollection of what that undercard looked like. And we all got together to watch that.

 

With all due respect, D, you are not going to remember that he stomped a much smaller man to death in Cleveland over a gambling debt and only did a few years time for it? Really?