Even before Mike Tyson sacked him as his promoter this was always going to be a difficult year for Don King.

Next month he faces a retrial over insurance fraud allegations.

His critics say if he is convicted, and he could face a jail term of up to 45 years, it would be the best thing to happen to boxing since a young Cassius Clay stepped through the ropes for the first time.

The veteran promoter with the famously electrified hair has dominated the world of boxing for the last decade and his critics say he has ruined the sport and especially the heavyweight division.

Deadly history

King, who has admitted killing two people during his long and colourful career, faces charges of insurance fraud at Manhattan's Federal Court.

He is accused of defrauding a syndicate at Lloyd's of London after a fight was cancelled in June 1991.

King had insured himself against the possibility of cancellation of the bout, between the Mexican lightweight legend Julio Cesar Chavez and American challenger Harold Brazier, and received $617,000 (£385,000) from Lloyd's in 1992 after claiming he had spent that amount on training and promotional expenses.

Prosecutors claim the figure was highly inflated but he blames the deception on one of his employees.

Damning testimony

At his first trial, which resulted in a hung jury, Chavez, who has since broken with King, gave damning testimony via a Spanish translator.

He said he never signed the claim form for the expenses and said he often signed blank forms for the promoter which King later filled in to suit his purpose.

But the jury was deadlocked and King, 65, now faces a retrial.

His critics say King has wrecked the sport since he arrived on the scene in the early 1970s.

He spent most of the 1940s and 1950s running the numbers racket in Cleveland, Ohio.

Spent four years in jail

In 1954 he shot a man dead when he tried to rob him -- he was acquitted of murder on the grounds of self-defence -- and beat another to death during a brawl.

He served four years of a 10-year sentence for manslaughter.

Despite his outwards appearance as a showman and a buffoon King is famous within boxing circles for being mean, selfish, ruthless and cunning.

His fiercest critics concede he is a shrewd businessman and a fantastic promoter.

Tried to corner the market

King "owns" dozens of fighters but he realised early on the big money was in the heavyweight division and has spent his life trying to corner the market.

His character is typified by his actions at the Joe Frazier vs George Foreman fight in Kingston, Jamaica in 1973.

King arrived at ringside with the champion, and hot favourite, Frazier, but numerous witness recall seeing him edging around the ring as Foreman took over the fight.

When Smokin' Joe was stopped in the second round a grinning King climbed through the ropes, put his arm around the new champion and soon had him signed up for a money-spinning fight with Muhammad Ali.

Unified the title

King's greatest moment though was in 1986 when another of his fighters, young Mike Tyson, unified the heavyweight title for the first time in 20 years.

Things turned sour when Tyson lost his title to Buster Douglas in Tokyo four years later and was then jailed for rape but King was not locked out of the picture for long.

Tyson regained two versions of the title on his release and when he fought Evander Holyfield the cunning promoter, although convinced Tyson would win, made sure he had options on "The Real Deal".

Lennox Lewis blames Don King for blocking his fight with Holyfield

Holyfield won the fight and the infamous rematch and King's power was never more obvious than in December 1997 when he vetoed a clash between Holyfield and Lennox Lewis.

Most lucrative bout ever

It was the match all true fight fans wanted to see but King feared Lewis would win and spoil Holyfield-Tyson III which promises to be the most lucrative bout ever.

He pulled the plug, claiming Holyfield and Lewis were not willing to accept the money on offer from cable TV station HBO.

Now Tyson has apparently fallen out with King. Reports say Tyson is close to bankruptcy and blames King for taking too big a cut of his purses.

It would not be the first time King, who regularly takes 33% of his fighters' purses, has been accused of stitching up his boxers.

Several of King's fighters have taken him to court over the years and many, including Larry Holmes and Muhammad Ali, have accused him of "robbing" them.

One of the most successful litigants was former heavyweight champion "Terrible Tim" Witherspoon, who won $1m from the Miami-based promoter.

British promoter Frank Warren also threatened legal action when King refused to accept their trans-Atlantic partnership was at an end.

Back to top | BBC News Home | BBC Homepage	©