Fighters Whose Lives Were Ruined By Don King..

[mickey malone]

There's plenty of these i'm sure..

Just to get started, here's a sad story about a true warrior, that effortlessly highlights what it's like to involved with Don King..

Saoul Mamby was an artful 10-stone stylist who hailed from the notorious Bronx in New York.. A black Jew, Mamby had a light-coppery complexion and delicate, almost pretty features, that he protected well with a deft left hand and a nimble pair of legs.. Mamby personified the 'sweet science' but it took him 8 long years to get a championship fight.. He was too good for his own good, and clever boxers don't sell tickets..

In October 77, Mamby finally got his title shot, but had little hope of getting the decision of local hero, Saensak Muangsorin in Thailand..
The polite softly spoken globetrotter never got the protection he needed because he always had to fight in the other guy's backyard.. He was so good he could still win on the road without a knockout punch, but despite appearances in exotic locales like Curacao, San Juan, Kingston and Paris, his passport was getting a lot more action than his bank book..
Then one day, Don King called.

King got Mamby a fight in Feb 80, against Kim-Sang Hyun in Seoul, South Korea, for the WBC super lightweight championship.. However, there was a catch - he was forced to take on Carl King, Don's stepson as his manager..
Carl didn't even bother making the trip to Seoul to see Mamby win in rnd 14..
Not only was Carl in for at least a third of his purse (some reports claim half!), Don also took a fifth..

Mamby made 4 defenses of the WBC crown, all of which were promoted by King.. He won on the road against Maurice 'Termite' Watkins in Houston and Obisia Nwankpa in Nigeria, but claims, like so many others, he didn't get anywhere near what the contract called for..
According to Mamby, a gentleman outside the ring, Carl or Don actually managed 3 of his opponents..

Where the hell was Sulaiman and his rulebook?

On & July 1980, Mamby scored his greatest win, halting Esteban DeJesus..
Mamby then discovered that DeJesus was officially managed by Connie Harper, Don King's girlfriend, who later went to prison after she and Don were indicted on 23 counts of income-tax evasion..

When Mamby defeated Thomas Americo in Jakarta, Indonesia he was supposed to get $350,000 for the fight.. He got $135,000 instead..
He signed for $300,000 to face Nwankpa, but got just $118,000..
After all these tough matches, he finally lost to 'Irish' Leroy Haley in June 82 in Vegas.. After the split-decision was announced, Carl King began to jump up and down in jubilation.. Mamby suddenly realized that Carl managed Haley too.. Despite all this happening in a State-controlled sport, Nevada did nothing about King's outrageous conflict of interest which should have cost him his promoters license.. And neither did Sulaiman, the self styled 'Humble Servant of Boxing'..

By 1992, 'Sweet' Saoul Mamby was 45 and fighting from memory.. He should have been set for life years earlier, but was heavily in debt to the IRS and not only had to risk his life every time he stepped into the ring, the former world champion had one of the most dangerous day jobs in the world: he drove a cab on New York's violent streets..

Fifteen years later, at 60 years of age, he was still trying to get fights!

[GJC]

King is a disgrace, and Sulaiman is no better than his lapdog. King pretty much destroyed Tim Witherspoon's career too, in fact it might be quicker to list fighters he has been involved with that he hasn't cheated

[General Zod]

I think the only fighter who talks positively about him is Larry Holmes.

[mickey malone]

QUOTE: GJC...King is a disgrace, and Sulaiman is no better than his lapdog. King pretty much destroyed Tim Witherspoon's career too, in fact it might be quicker to list fighters he has been involved with that he hasn't cheated.

Absolutely, I should have mentioned both of them in the thread title..

I remember when King was searching for an opponent for Mike Tyson's comeback..

Peter McNeely signed for King in July 94..
He then miraculously vaulted into the WBC ratings.. This was inspite of amassing a collection of ambulatory punchbags who between them had lost 301 times in 424 fights with 152 stoppages.. McNeeley had to be one of the worst fighters ever to compile a record like this..
Despite media protest, including a damning report from his then no2, Eric Armit, Sulaiman justified his decision, by saying, "Well, Joe Louis had his 'Bum of the Month club' didn't he."
As for Armit, his days at the WBC were numbered.. Nobody on the ratings committee would take his calls, and he ended up resigning about a year later..
But poor old Peter thought he could fight..
He was brave alright and charged straight at Tyson as soon as the bell sounded, only to be rescued by his corner b4 the end of the 1st..
From the $750,000 he was supposed to get, he received only $200,000.. McNeely's life then spiraled out of control.. He became a national laughing stock, with tough guys taking swings at him in bars, and experienced years of drug and alcohol problems aswell as several run in's with the law..
Now recovering with daily trips to Alcoholics and Narcotics Anonymous, McNeeley recently told the Boston Herald, "I find standing up and admitting i'm powerless actually gives me the strength to carry on.. So does letting go of my resentments."

[1SILVA]

There's plenty of these i'm sure..

Just to get started, here's a sad story about a true warrior, that effortlessly highlights what it's like to involved with Don King..

Saoul Mamby was an artful 10-stone stylist who hailed from the notorious Bronx in New York.. A black Jew, Mamby had a light-coppery complexion and delicate, almost pretty features, that he protected well with a deft left hand and a nimble pair of legs.. Mamby personified the 'sweet science' but it took him 8 long years to get a championship fight.. He was too good for his own good, and clever boxers don't sell tickets..

In October 77, Mamby finally got his title shot, but had little hope of getting the decision of local hero, Saensak Muangsorin in Thailand..
The polite softly spoken globetrotter never got the protection he needed because he always had to fight in the other guy's backyard.. He was so good he could still win on the road without a knockout punch, but despite appearances in exotic locales like Curacao, San Juan, Kingston and Paris, his passport was getting a lot more action than his bank book..
Then one day, Don King called.

King got Mamby a fight in Feb 80, against Kim-Sang Hyun in Seoul, South Korea, for the WBC super lightweight championship.. However, there was a catch - he was forced to take on Carl King, Don's stepson as his manager..
Carl didn't even bother making the trip to Seoul to see Mamby win in rnd 14..
Not only was Carl in for at least a third of his purse (some reports claim half!), Don also took a fifth..

Mamby made 4 defenses of the WBC crown, all of which were promoted by King.. He won on the road against Maurice 'Termite' Watkins in Houston and Obisia Nwankpa in Nigeria, but claims, like so many others, he didn't get anywhere near what the contract called for..
According to Mamby, a gentleman outside the ring, Carl or Don actually managed 3 of his opponents..

Where the hell was Sulaiman and his rulebook?

On & July 1980, Mamby scored his greatest win, halting Esteban DeJesus..
Mamby then discovered that DeJesus was officially managed by Connie Harper, Don King's girlfriend, who later went to prison after she and Don were indicted on 23 counts of income-tax evasion..

When Mamby defeated Thomas Americo in Jakarta, Indonesia he was supposed to get $350,000 for the fight.. He got $135,000 instead..
He signed for $300,000 to face Nwankpa, but got just $118,000..
After all these tough matches, he finally lost to 'Irish' Leroy Haley in June 82 in Vegas.. After the split-decision was announced, Carl King began to jump up and down in jubilation.. Mamby suddenly realized that Carl managed Haley too.. Despite all this happening in a State-controlled sport, Nevada did nothing about King's outrageous conflict of interest which should have cost him his promoters license.. And neither did Sulaiman, the self styled 'Humble Servant of Boxing'..

By 1992, 'Sweet' Saoul Mamby was 45 and fighting from memory.. He should have been set for life years earlier, but was heavily in debt to the IRS and not only had to risk his life every time he stepped into the ring, the former world champion had one of the most dangerous day jobs in the world: he drove a cab on New York's violent streets..

Fifteen years later, at 60 years of age, he was still trying to get fights!

Mamby
Witherspoon
Matthew Hilton
Mike Tyson
Meldrick Taylor(signing him when he was completly shot)

[Joey Giardello]

There's plenty of these i'm sure..

Just to get started, here's a sad story about a true warrior, that effortlessly highlights what it's like to involved with Don King..

Saoul Mamby was an artful 10-stone stylist who hailed from the notorious Bronx in New York.. A black Jew, Mamby had a light-coppery complexion and delicate, almost pretty features, that he protected well with a deft left hand and a nimble pair of legs.. Mamby personified the 'sweet science' but it took him 8 long years to get a championship fight.. He was too good for his own good, and clever boxers don't sell tickets..

In October 77, Mamby finally got his title shot, but had little hope of getting the decision of local hero, Saensak Muangsorin in Thailand..
The polite softly spoken globetrotter never got the protection he needed because he always had to fight in the other guy's backyard.. He was so good he could still win on the road without a knockout punch, but despite appearances in exotic locales like Curacao, San Juan, Kingston and Paris, his passport was getting a lot more action than his bank book..
Then one day, Don King called.

King got Mamby a fight in Feb 80, against Kim-Sang Hyun in Seoul, South Korea, for the WBC super lightweight championship.. However, there was a catch - he was forced to take on Carl King, Don's stepson as his manager..
Carl didn't even bother making the trip to Seoul to see Mamby win in rnd 14..
Not only was Carl in for at least a third of his purse (some reports claim half!), Don also took a fifth..

Mamby made 4 defenses of the WBC crown, all of which were promoted by King.. He won on the road against Maurice 'Termite' Watkins in Houston and Obisia Nwankpa in Nigeria, but claims, like so many others, he didn't get anywhere near what the contract called for..
According to Mamby, a gentleman outside the ring, Carl or Don actually managed 3 of his opponents..

Where the hell was Sulaiman and his rulebook?

On & July 1980, Mamby scored his greatest win, halting Esteban DeJesus..
Mamby then discovered that DeJesus was officially managed by Connie Harper, Don King's girlfriend, who later went to prison after she and Don were indicted on 23 counts of income-tax evasion..

When Mamby defeated Thomas Americo in Jakarta, Indonesia he was supposed to get $350,000 for the fight.. He got $135,000 instead..
He signed for $300,000 to face Nwankpa, but got just $118,000..
After all these tough matches, he finally lost to 'Irish' Leroy Haley in June 82 in Vegas.. After the split-decision was announced, Carl King began to jump up and down in jubilation.. Mamby suddenly realized that Carl managed Haley too.. Despite all this happening in a State-controlled sport, Nevada did nothing about King's outrageous conflict of interest which should have cost him his promoters license.. And neither did Sulaiman, the self styled 'Humble Servant of Boxing'..

By 1992, 'Sweet' Saoul Mamby was 45 and fighting from memory.. He should have been set for life years earlier, but was heavily in debt to the IRS and not only had to risk his life every time he stepped into the ring, the former world champion had one of the most dangerous day jobs in the world: he drove a cab on New York's violent streets..

Fifteen years later, at 60 years of age, he was still trying to get fights!

great post mickey. just shows what a pair of ****bags the kings were, who were lower than a snake's ass

[mickey malone]

I'm currently gathering information on what Witherspoon endured at the hands of King, and from what i've learned so far, it may be too much to put on one post..

Here's a bit on Sulaiman, who is the WBC's President & also happens to be Don King's partner in 'crimes against mankind'

There's no evidence to suggest that King was involved in the WBC's decision to put the slow methodical Columbian, Jimmy Garcia in with Gabe Ruelas, who was promoted by the Goosens, and looking for a fast payday.. Jimmy took a terrible beating & by the 6th round, HBO's Larry Merchant was telling viewers, "This fight should be stopped" but Garcia was systematicly beaten to a pulp for yet another 2 rounds until Ref, Mitch Halpern eventually stepped in.. Sadly Garcia then collapsed in his corner and never woke up again..
Garcia's death barely made the sports briefs, but both Ruelas and Halpern went through a living hell.. Ruelas visited him in hospital, and cried at his bedside, begging him to wake up.. He also paid a large chunk of his purse to Jimmy's family, but when he went to beg forgiveness, Garcia's mother rejected him coldly, and just said, "You killed my son"..
Halpern meanwhile, had it on his conscience that he'd stopped the fight too late, and went into a deep depression which eventually ended his marriage.. Only days after acting strangely in a tv interview, Halpern put a gun to his head and blew his brains out..
Sulaiman then had the cheek to tell Senator McCain, that the WBC had magnanimously given Garcia's family $100,000, when in truth, it was just a bog standard insurance payout, a pitiful insult, and should have been a helluva lot more!
Only months after this tragedy, the WBC were at it again, and a club fighter by the name of Jay Bell, suddenly appeared at no15, and was therefore eligible to be annihilated by then, WBC middleweight champion, Gerald McClellan.. This televised atrocity took place in August 93, and ended in just 30 seconds, which i believe is still an all time middleweight record..

[bklynboy]

I'm currently gathering information on what Witherspoon endured at the hands of King, and from what i've learned so far, it may be too much to put on one post..

Here's a bit on Sulaiman, who is the WBC's President & also happens to be Don King's partner in 'crimes against mankind'

There's no evidence to suggest that King was involved in the WBC's decision to put the slow methodical Columbian, Jimmy Garcia in with Gabe Ruelas, who was promoted by the Goosens, and looking for a fast payday.. Jimmy took a terrible beating & by the 6th round, HBO's Larry Merchant was telling viewers, "This fight should be stopped" but Garcia was systematicly beaten to a pulp for yet another 2 rounds until Ref, Mitch Halpern eventually stepped in.. Sadly Garcia then collapsed in his corner and never woke up again..
Garcia's death barely made the sports briefs, but both Ruelas and Halpern went through a living hell.. Ruelas visited him in hospital, and cried at his bedside, begging him to wake up.. He also paid a large chunk of his purse to Jimmy's family, but when he went to beg forgiveness, Garcia's mother rejected him coldly, and just said, "You killed my son"..
Halpern meanwhile, had it on his conscience that he'd stopped the fight too late, and went into a deep depression which eventually ended his marriage.. Only days after acting strangely in a tv interview, Halpern put a gun to his head and blew his brains out..
Sulaiman then had the cheek to tell Senator McCain, that the WBC had magnanimously given Garcia's family $100,000, when in truth, it was just a bog standard insurance payout, a pitiful insult, and should have been a helluva lot more!
Only months after this tragedy, the WBC were at it again, and a club fighter by the name of Jay Bell, suddenly appeared at no15, and was therefore eligible to be annihilated by then, WBC middleweight champion, Gerald McClellan.. This televised atrocity took place in August 93, and ended in just 30 seconds, which i believe is still an all time middleweight record..

Great posts. I'm so sickened by the BS behind the scenes that I tend to skip by them when reading a bio. There was good section on the Don King and family in Bad Intentions: The Mike Tyson Story by Peter Heller. I glossed through the second half of it as it was bothering me so much. Only successful ex-boxers can change this by coming up with a systemized ranking system and a standard contract with guaranteed percentages to the fighters.

[American Dream]

King is lower than dirt..he makes me sick..and although I try to support the times he does help out fighters who other promoters have dropped..I know deep down he has an agenda...and hes such a snake

[sonnyboyx2]

All promoters are "Don King wanabe`s" --- i agree with all that has been said, yet the fact still remains that Don King is the greatest promoter in Boxing History.. oh how i miss Don King shows on TV, as a boxing fan King put on the greatest shows i have ever seen, 5 or more world title fights on the same bill for £9.99, Chavez, Jackson, McClelland followed by Mike Tyson... unbelievable value`.. and now all we get is a bunch of mis-matches and a main event not worthy of being labelled `World Championship` at a cost of £16.99.... it is meaningless to me how much Don King ripped off the fighters for... IMO it was the fighters believing the ****e that King was telling them... i will give you $5 million yet they only get paid $3 million and any other promoter was only willing to pay them $2 million...King may have been bad for the fighters but he was great for the fans watching on tv....

some on this topic are talking as if it was themselves who have been `ripped off` by King, that they know him personally...one guy is even claiming King makes him physically sick?...