By Edward Chaykovsky
Heavyweight contender Mark De Mori (29-1-2, 25KOs) and veteran promoter Don King have parted ways.
De Mori, ranked at number 9 by the WBA, signed on with King in 2007. The 33-year-old boxer has been competing overseas for the last few years, in Australia and Germany. The boxer has been 23-0-1 on his last 24 fights and close to a title shot opportunity.
He met with King in Florida earlier this year and they agreed to work together until the fighter's contract expired last week. De Mori opted to go in another direction as King's stable is now very limited and the once dominating promoter has very few televised dates.
"I've been with Don King for a long time," de Mori said to WA Today. "It was a good run and great experience. Don King is a legendary promoter and we ended it on amicable terms. Don has always been a man of his word and I admire that. But basically my contract was coming to an end. I had a great experience with Don King. He's the greatest boxing promoter of all time, so I learned tons from him about the boxing business."
De Mori had stayed with King with the hope of getting a shot at WBC heavyweight champion Bermane Stiverne, but that fight was a thing of the past when Deontay Wilder unseated him earlier this year.
"If Stiverne beat Wilder, I know I would have got the next shot," de Mori said. "Don said he would have given me the next shot and I know he would have kept his word. Unfortunately I sat ringside in Las Vegas and watched Bermane lose so that slowed my title opportunity. But I'm going to keep pursuing it. I am exploring all options at the moment with my team but will be very deliberate. The next promotional deal I sign will likely be my last, so obviously I'm leaning towards whoever can bring me a title fight. But we shall see. It's a very exciting time for me right now because I know big things are coming."