When we don’t understand, we say bring it light. When we are confused, we say needs more light. When something clicks, we say the light came on. When a person is fully conscious, we say they are enlightened. Don King is enlightened. His enlightenment drew me to him as light attracts light.
ONLY IN AMERICA, by Jack Newfield is an outstanding literary piece to read, and from what I hear the movie is incredible to watch. This novel describing legendary and iconic boxing promoter Don King’s life grips you and mentally twists you when you witness his genius.
At one time or another, Don King had control of 90% of all heavyweight boxers in the world, and controlled fighters in other weight classes. My pondering thoughts about Don King was how he orchestrated nearly complete control over the entire sport of boxing? How did one man strategically finagle his way into a sport dominated by whites and mafia families? How did one man navigate uncharted waters as an African American when black boxing promoters were essentially non-existent?
Don King rose to become close friends with former presidents of our country, and others. He is the most famous boxing promoter of all time and promoted some of the greatest boxing events in history. Ali vs Foreman, Tyson vs Douglas, Holmes vs Norton, Tyson vs Holyfield, and Ali vs Frazier III to name a few.
Mr. King had the least amount of money compared to his competition, but what he lacked in finances, he closed the gap with his mind. He was mastery in motion exploiting racism with enthusiasm, and King is credited with opening doors that promoters and fighters use today for promotion and management.
King was a Master of Psychology, a trait he accredits during his time spent in a prison cell. King states the four years inside prison were used to his advantage. King quotes, “I didn’t serve time. I made time serve me.” He became an avid reader, swallowing the institution’s books of deep thinkers like Frederick Douglas, Shakespeare, Adam Smith, Tolstoy, Nietzsche, John Stuart Mill, Martin Luther King Jr., Marx, and Hitler.
He read The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius during his first days of prison. “I tried to escape by reading other people’s ideas and putting my ideas with theirs and developing a sense of discipline.” King studied words to sharpen his vocabulary, and when toppled with his understanding of how the mind works, King created himself a mastermind.
During the 70’s all the top heavyweight boxers, Frazier, Ali, George Foreman, Earnie Shavers, Ron Lyle, and Jimmy Young were black fighters with the exception of Jerry Quarry who was the only white boxer in this division. All boxing promoters, led by Bob Arum and Madison Square Garden, were white.
Don King was born and raised in Cleveland, OH. He was always good with numbers and money. He ran an illegal betting business for a large part of his life, and his success in this business is what led him to his connection, and protection with mafia families who were behind the scenes controlling boxing.
During the 1970’s, it was a well-known fact a large chunk of the boxing world was run by crime families, King had favor with powers at be, based on the value he brought to the table in being able to effectively communicate directly with the black fighters who reigned supreme at this time. King could speak the language of the fighter. King had the gift of gab, a gift to pull resources together, a gift of knowing himself, and a gift of modeling what hard work and dedication looked like.
King has promoted the grandest boxing events in history, but none greater than the fight he promoted for Muhammad Ali vs George Foreman. The fight took place on the continent of Africa in the country of Zaire. Don King’s first task was getting Ali and Foreman to sign a contract to fight each other. The carrot was Mr. King was NOT the promoter for either fighter, and had no money of his own to host the fight.
He told both guys the fight was bigger than them as individuals, and collectively they would change the world. King fought tooth and nail, got both guys to sign “blank contracts” on a handshake agreement, and then he went out and delivered what is still today one of the highest grossing boxing events in the history of boxing. Both guys were paid 5.5 million dollars for their fight in which Ali knocked out the “bully” George Foreman in front of the entire world and 70,000 fans in the Zaire soccer stadium.
What I learned from reading Don King’s book is simple. Audibles are always in our playbook to choose how we let circumstances affect us in our life. Sometimes God will allow us to go through some tough situations in order for us to develop.
Did Don King have to go to prison for 4 years to develop the man he turned out to be? Did I have to come to prison to develop into the man I’m turning out to be? The remedy for absence is presence, and one profound thing about being confined in prison is constantly being yanked to present.
For me, prison keeps me conscious. My constant awareness is required to stay focused, and always be aware of my surroundings. It’s taught me in a short time to not only be an observer of people, but to observe and read the environment.
Any habit reinforced builds muscle memory. The strength of my inner mental muscles has grown. New neural pathways have been created, and my brain has expanded its light. This will carry with me when I return home to the free world and beyond.
I learned from Don King that a person’s value can outperform their past mistakes. I learned that wisdom is found in the books, but the lips of wisdom are closed, except to the ears of understanding.
Sometimes it can take dynamite to crumble false ideas from the subconscious mind. That explosion is usually a big situation. Me coming to prison was dynamite to my soul. I’m figuring things out as I go. Out with the old and in with the new. I believe in the rhythm of this universe and understand life’s scales must be balanced.
Above I sit, hovering over the triple beam in pure consciousness. Those seated at the table remain unaware of the shift taking place. I’m close to zeroing out. Once the scales level, all my work I’ve been creating will be pressed, bound, weighed, and distributed to the world in pure positive energy form.
Don King faced scrutiny on a consistent basis, but he never stopped going. I find strength in his zest for life. Everyday life gives you a tour of your life, but you need to look inside to take it. I’ve been living on my inside and facing my inadequacies.
The more I face my pains, the weaker the pains become. The more I face my pains, my soul swallows wholeness. The more I face my pains, the need for external power wallows distant. The more I face my pain, my heart grows with compassion. I see Don King an icon because he is someone that sees himself winning before he steps into battle, and men like him help me raise my standard.