The August 19 heavyweight mismatch between Mike Tyson and Peter McNeeley has nothing to do with competition. McNeeley has no hope of victory; his skills are so limited that the event won't be much of a showcase for Tyson either. It will, however, be a marvelous stage for Tyson's promoter, Don King.
King's persona extends far beyond boxing. A tall, bulky man with diamond-studded fingers, he wears frilled shirts, sequined tuxedos and a gold necklace embedded with diamonds that spell his name. He's also the possessor of the world's best-known Afro, graying hair that rises toward the heavens in apparent defiance of the laws of gravity. Federal prosecutors contend that gravity isn't the only law King has violated. He is currently under indictment for fraud involving an alleged insurance scam, and is scheduled to stand trial in September.
King has done so many bad things in his life that it's impossible to list them all. He has corrupted virtually everyone and every institution he has been involved with. As noted in Jack Newfield's compelling and exhaustively researched new book, Only in America. The Life and Crimes of Don King, King's resume includes a stint as one of the largest numbers czars in Cleveland, during the course of which he killed two men. He was found guilty of murder, a verdict later reduced by the trial judge to manslaughter, and sent to prison for four years. After his release he turned to boxing, not as a pugilist but as a promoter.
Over the years, King has managed to control his sport by. forging alliances with boxing's three world-sanctioning organizations and denying title opportunities to fighters who won't cede portions of their earnings to him. His method of operation is simple. He woos fighters with promises of money and fame. He also appeals to black fighters on racial grounds, suggesting that only a black promoter will treat them fairly. The fighters he promotes are often required to pity 50 percent of their earnings to King's stepson, Carl, for 'managerial services.' And that's just the beginning of the exploitation.
It has often been said that boxing is a microcosm of American society. In the 1950s, Rocky Marciano was thought to embody the American Dream. Muhammad Ali reflected the excitement, rebellion and tumult of the decades that followed. The 1980s were about big money and crude, vulgar excess, and who better to represent that era than Mike Tyson? Now, we have Don King.
King symbolizes racial profiteering, a lowering of standards and the 'big lie' technique (which is successful only if there's a constituency that wants to hear the lie). He's part and parcel of the malaise in our society that has confused decency and heroism with fame and celebrity status. This is all too evident in the obscene comparisons that King regularly makes between Tyson and Ali.
Ali and Tyson were both great boxers, deprived of the right to fight in the middle of their careers. But Ali's career was interrupted by an act of principle - his refusal to accept induction into the Army at the height of the Vietnam War. He acted in the sunlight in full view of the world, not in an Indianapolis hotel room at two in the morning. Moreover, as the Supreme Court later unanimously ruled, Ali never committed a crime; whereas twelve jurors found Mike Tyson guilty of rape. At the time Ali was exiled from boxing he was heavyweight champion, whereas Tyson was an ex-champion turned contender. Ali's ring skills were peaking; Tyson's were in decline. And when Ali returned to boxing, his first fight was against Jerry Quarry, one of the best heavyweights in the world, not a punching bag with legs like Peter McNeeley. Of course, Ali always was a champion.
More significant, though, Don King today is a symbol of the breakdown of the legal system. Through payoffs and intimidation, he has remained in power and above the law for so long that he has demoralized an entire sport. His upcoming trial may result in a conviction, but whether it does or not, the antitrust division of the Justice Department should be watching. Because in the end, the only effective way to deal with King and his empire will be a civil lawsuit brought by the government for conspiracy and monopoly violations. Under federal statutes, that would place King's wrongdoing in the hands of a single judge. And if justice were to prevail, there would be no empire left for Don King to rule from in or out of prison.
Thomas Hauser, a New York City attorney and writer, is the author of several books. His latest, co-authored with Frank Macchiarola, is Confronting America's Moral Crisis (Hastings House).
