Topic > Don King and Boxing - 860

Famous boxing promoter Don King's business process was not as smooth as that of other boxing promoters. King really had to fight again and again to prove that he had the right skills to be a good promoter. They doubted him because King had a long history of street bragging. King was running illegal operations and was charged with murder during two of these operations. In the first case he was discharged. The judge said it was a justifiable homicide because King shot Hillary Brown because Brown was trying to rob him. In the second case, King was convicted and sentenced to prison for second-degree murder. King was released from prison in just four years because many celebrities put in a good word for him. After being released from prison, King wanted to start over. From here on out King had become a boxing promoter. Don King is an ideal example of a tireless entrepreneur. King's first big step into becoming a boxing promoter was in 1972 in Cleveland. Don King with the help of his friend Lloyd Price, a famous singer and the man who brought King from his activities into the world of boxing. Both managed to convince the famous boxer Muhammad Ali to join him at one of his events. “It was a charity event for 'Show For People Care' to benefit Forest City Hospital and featured Muhammad Ali in an exhibition match” (Fight News). King wanted Ali to take part in his boxing benefit performance for a local black hospital so they could help the hospital since it was not functioning well. This charity event put King in the spotlight as a kind and fair man who helped him largely because of his past. A few years after the benefit event in Cleveland King had the idea for another boxing match. He created a bet on a boxing match... in the center of the paper... and. King received a lot of attention as he was the promoter and manager of both Tyson and Holyfield. Don King's entrepreneurial process was difficult. Every time King put up a really good fight to promote something he would get in the way, but King would hang on. King received a lot of support especially from his good friend Loyd Price which led him to promote boxing. After many of his spectacular and exciting fights such as Rumble in the Jungle, Thrilla in Manilla, Wepner vs. Wings that inspired Rocky and The Sound and Fury King fundamentally changed boxing promotion. One change he made and learned on his own was control. In 1978 King finally realized that he needed control over his fighters if he really wanted to take his production far. Despite his horrible past, Don King has set an evolutionary example in his business process as a boxing promoter.