Boca Raton, FL. A paradise country where retirees retire to spend their golden years in sunshine and peace. But as you drive past the palm trees and manicured lawns, Mail Sport is not here for a quiet visit.
We’re here to meet Don King, a man whose energy and charisma have outlasted the brightest stars he promoted.
When Mail Sport pulls up outside King’s offices, he is greeted by stone lions on either side of the entrance. Inside, King’s voice echoes through the hallway as he ends a phone call with, “Don’t bully me!” You agreed to sign the contract.” Despite the walking frame he uses to get around his office, the grit that made King, now 93 years old, one of boxing’s most notorious promoters is still there, along with a touch of the old venom.
“Welcome to my office, honey,” King begins, showing off a huge diamond ring on his left hand. ‘You step into a piece of history.’ And he’s not exaggerating. The walls of the office are decorated with bold portraits of him alongside figures such as Donald Trump, the Jackson Five, Muhammad Ali and former President George Bush. American flags hang throughout the room and the patriotic king stands proudly in red, white and blue.
And when it comes to talking about Mike Tyson – back in the spotlight for his fight with YouTuber Jake Paul tonight – the memories, good and bad, flood back.
It was in 1999 that King and Tyson had a falling out. Fueled by cocaine and frustration, Tyson lashed out and accused King of living lavishly off his blood, sweat and tears while drowning in $60 million in debt.
Don King (right) was Mike Tyson’s promoter when he became the youngest ever heavyweight champion in 1986
King and Tyson dated for over a decade and had some huge highs
But their relationship was tumultuous as King struggled to control Tyson and was attacked by his fighter in the back of a car.
In a rage, Tyson kicked King in the back of the head from the backseat of their car. Fighting to maintain control, King’s driver turned to the emergency lane as Tyson lunged forward, fists flying, determined to make his promoter pay.
Tyson even tried to drag King out of the car to end the attack, but according to King, Iron Mike hesitated when he realized the promoter had a gun.
“I flew him to Cleveland on my private jet and we were in the car on the highway and he asked if I was rotten (with a gun in my hand). I said, “Yeah, you know, I don’t go anywhere without it. I’d be naked if I didn’t have my gun.” I looked him in the eye and knew he was planning something deadly, but once I said I was carrying my gun it slowed things down.
“Carrying a gun was important to me. I was dealing with these guys who don’t know any better: they are extortionists and gangsters out for blood and ready to kill. They are lawbreakers, not legislators. Mike talked about how he wanted to get things done, but I didn’t know how angry he really was. He certainly showed me that.’
King himself was no stranger to violence, having served three years and eleven months for manslaughter. He was released in 1971. He saw Tyson’s volatile nature as an extension of his raw, animalistic drive. ‘He is an animal, and he recognized that in himself. He had to work hard to keep it out of the ring. I didn’t want to paint a negative picture of him then, and I’m not going to do that now either.’
During the height of his fame, Tyson battled substance abuse, often carrying a kilo of cocaine and drinking excessive amounts of alcohol. Later, Tyson returned to the ring alone to finance his lifestyle.
“Tyson wasn’t able to take care of himself,” King remembers, adjusting the silver chain around his neck. ‘He was not highly educated. All he knew was knocking people out. To kill people. He did that best. But he didn’t know how to handle the fame and money.
‘I always brought him back no matter what he did. When he ate that man’s ear (Evander Holyfield), I brought him back. I never put him down or punished him for the things he did. He’s an animal and he knew that, but he became his own worst enemy.”
Mail Sport’s Charlotte Daly spoke with King this week at his home in Boca Raton, Florida
King promoted Tyson’s fights with Evander Holyfield as he made his comeback after spending time in prison
“Welcome to my office, honey,” King begins, showing off a huge diamond ring on his left hand
King references how he stood by Tyson after he was disqualified for biting Holyfield’s ear, and says he’s now buried the hatchet with Iron Mike
Tyson is now set to fight YouTuber Jake Paul, and King is happy to get another big payday
When it comes to talking about Tyson, the memories, good and bad, flood back
That didn’t stop Tyson from labeling King as “ruthless,” “deplorable” and “greedy,” and ultimately filing a $100 million lawsuit against the promoter for fraud and unfair business practices. King, sitting in a plush leather armchair, chuckles as I talk about how Tyson tried to manipulate him by demanding cars and jewelry in exchange for dropping the suit.
“Look, I love Mike. But the thing is, Mike came to me hungry for money. He spent it so quickly that he couldn’t keep up with his demand for more. I gave him a 10 carat diamond ring to wear so he could show it off and show it off. But he ended up selling the ring or giving it away to get his (drug) fix and never gave it back to me.”
King still doesn’t hold a grudge. “If a man makes as much money as I do with Mike, I can’t possibly have any disrespect or lack of love for him.”
King lives just two doors down from Tyson in Florida and insists they have well and truly buried the hatchet. Although Tyson never stops by for a cup of tea, he did walk over to apologize after throwing water on him during their reunion at a Boxing Hall of Fame event in 2018.
‘That was a funny moment. He wasn’t even speaking to me at that point, and a man handed him a cup of water and he threw it over me. I looked at him and said, ‘Thank you for letting me cool down, my man, I was really hot!’.
King, who jumps back and forth effortlessly between the stories – he claims he was given a personal tour of the palace by the late Queen herself during a visit to England after she heard he was in the country – admits he’s not against Tyson’s fight with Paul is .
“I’m glad to see them getting some money,” he says. “Mike doesn’t need to verify or validate himself; He can just go and collect the money. They say he’s going to get $40 million for this. I hope that’s true. Mike does everything he can to win. He’s not going to stop. Jake Paul is in for a night of entertainment – and trouble.”
King adjusts his hearing aid before closing our conversation with a final, heartfelt comment: “Mike Tyson is a fighter. He has given us some of the best nights in boxing history. I have always been a promoter for the people, by the people, and together we have made boxing what it is today. Good luck and God bless Mike Friday night.”