Exclusive: A Chat With Don King, The Legend, The Man

He’s been called the “greatest boxing promoter in history”

by many, but Don King’s notoriety and zany hair have always claimed the media

spotlight. AllHipHop.com just sat in with the legendary boxing promoter for an

exclusive interview, where he talks boxing, God, and country.

In Part 1 of 3, the sometimes elusive King, along with his

business advisor Steve Marcano of My LiL Star products company, is surprisingly

open and equally elated to share his most recent announcement – a major

fight card on December 17 in Miami.

In fact, King is billing his latest venture as the

“Christmas Party” that just may save the sweltering City of Miami’s ice cold economy…

AllHipHop.com: Tell

me about your big upcoming fights on December 17.

Don King: On

December 17, there’s going to be a Christmas party, a festival in Miami at the

Triple A Arena, which is the American Airlines Arena. And it’s going to be like

the rebirth of Miami, because you know the economy has crashed down on everyone

in the country, and especially in the Oasis of Heaven – that’s down here

in Miami, with the foliage and the activity and the excitement and the beach. So

we’re going to start a new beginning of bringing back great attractions, you

know what I mean? It will be a Community Unity effort to bring everybody, you

know what I mean?

AllHipHop.com: Who’s

on the card?

Don King: The Cuban

gold medal winner Odlanier Solis – he’s a defector that came here

fighting for freedom, and we also have Angelo Santana – we call him ‘The

Swimmer.’ He is a young kid that dived into the ocean and swam to Miami. He got

picked up like you hitchhike on the street, but hitchhiking boats and thumbing

a ride on the boats, and the boats would pick him up until here got here to the

Land of Freedom in America here. So he will be on the card also. He’s a

defector.

And Ray Austin, who is the #1 contender for the WBC World

Heavywieght Championship eliminator. The one who wins the fight will go

directly into a title fight against Vitali Klitschko.

And then you’ve got Tavoris Cloud, and he is the light

heavyweight champion of the world. They are now in the process of getting an

opponent for him, and he will be defending his crown as the IBF Heavyweight

Champion of the world. He’s a remarkable young man who just fought back on

August 7 in St. Louis, and it was a remarkable fight between him and Glen

Johnson. That was a great fight.

So now, you’re gonna have along with that, all the different

guys – the champion from Haiti – that’s Bermane Stiverne, he will

be working. And there’s a heavyweight elimination match, and you’re gonna have

Kertson Manswell, coming out from Trinidad and Tobago. He will be fighting a

heavy weight elimination match.

So it’s going to be a super sensational card, which will

bring the community, and bring all people together in the community of Miami.

But we’re going to be doing it where it’s gonna be a charitable affair with the

Kiwanis, that’s going out to help people in all ways and means of coming

together. It’s education and healthcare and working that end. So it’s something

that’s going to be quite exciting, because it’s going to be a people’s

promotion.

AllHipHop.com: Is

there a TV deal on the table? HBO or anyone?

Don King: Right now,

we’re building it from scratch, so we’re letting them all come. There’s going

to be Spanish TV and mega-radio, all the Spanish stations will be there. We’re

going to do a 24-7 Spanish show that will be shown all over Spanish TV. We’d

like to do HBO with this, and we’re going to put it into all the TV stations

that want to be a part of a great extravaganza. We want 20,000+ people in the

arena, and we want a big screen on the outside wall for all of the people who

can’t get in can see it from out in the streets. It’s going to be a festive

time.

And, we’re going to the Freedom Tower, which is across the

street from the American Airlines Arena, and we’re going to have a big program

there and a press conference in the next week that will symbolize freedom. We

want a nationalistic approach to bring it to a local level where people are

committed to freedom, justice, and equality. Though many of us still have not

gotten it yet, this is something we want to emphasize. We’re in progress, we’re

in the struggle. Frederick Douglass said, “Without struggle, there is no

progress.’ So we’re going to be fighting for a better America, and using the

Cuban defections to symbolize what we do have at home. It’s not to be denied to any of us. We have to deal with what is real, and we have to knock out the symbols

of injustice and hatred and divisiveness.