In the chaotic world of professional boxing, one name rose above the rest — Don King.

With his electrified hair, over-the-top personality, and undeniable business savvy, he became a towering figure in the sport.

But behind the glitz, glamour, and global fame lies a much darker truth.

Don King didn’t just promote fights — he controlled them. He built empires, crowned champions, and lined his pockets.

But he also left behind a trail of broken fighters, shattered careers, and serious criminal allegations.

From manipulating legends like Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson to being accused of murder and racketeering, Don King’s legacy is one of infamy as much as influence.

Don King didn’t come from money. Born in 1931 in Cleveland, Ohio, King rose from the streets — but not without blood on his hands.

Before he ever entered a boxing ring, Don King killed two men. One was ruled justifiable homicide, but the second — in 1966 — led to a conviction for second-degree manslaughter.

King stomped a man to death over a $600 gambling debt. He served just under four years in prison.

After his release, King pivoted to boxing. But that criminal past would haunt his reputation forever — and many believe it never left his business practices.

The Puppet Master: Controlling Fighters, Fixing Fights

King’s big break came in 1974 when he promoted the legendary “Rumble in the Jungle” — Muhammad Ali vs. George Foreman in Zaire.

It catapulted him to global fame. But what followed was a reign of manipulation, lawsuits, and controversy.

Boxing insiders often said Don King didn’t manage fighters — he owned them. He was known for locking boxers into unfair contracts, underpaying them, and pitting them against each other for his own gain.

Even his biggest stars eventually turned on him:

Muhammad Ali once sued King for cheating him out of $1.1 million. The case was settled quietly.

Larry Holmes accused King of exploiting fighters, calling him “the devil in disguise.”

Mike Tyson, who once called Don King “a brilliant but evil man,” sued him for $100 million, claiming he had been systematically robbed for years. Tyson later said, “He was a slimeball, but he was my slimeball.”

Corruption, Allegations, and the Fall from Grace

King was investigated — multiple times — for fight fixing, bribery, tax evasion, and connections to organized crime. While he always managed to slip away without conviction, his reputation among fighters and fans deteriorated.

The boxing world began to see Don King not as a genius promoter, but as a puppet master pulling the strings of a brutal business. As lawsuits piled up, fighters walked away, and rivals rose, his dominance began to fade in the 2000s.

Though he remained active well into his 80s, his grip on boxing was no longer unshakable.

The Dual Legacy: Visionary or Villain?

To be fair, Don King did shape modern boxing. He promoted some of the most legendary bouts in history. He helped turn the sport into a global spectacle. He opened doors for Black entrepreneurs in a world that rarely welcomed them.

But the cost was high.

Many believe King left boxing worse than he found it, with a trail of exploited fighters and shattered dreams in his wake. To this day, his name invokes strong emotions — admiration from some, pure hatred from others.

So, is Don King the most evil man in boxing? The answer depends on who you ask.

Some say he was a visionary. Others call him a thief, a liar, even a killer.

What’s certain is this: Don King changed boxing forever — and not all of it for the better. Behind the crown-shaped hair and patriotic flags was a man who built an empire on pain, power, and profit.

Love him or loathe him, his dark legacy still haunts the sport.