ARE YOU REALLY SURPRISED?
by Stephen S. Johnson
(INSIDE BOXING) Don King once again controls the heavyweight division. Honestly, were any of you surprised?
It was just a matter of time before the great pretender to the throne, Lennox Lewis, was toppled from the perch leaving John Ruiz as the opponent for the surprise new champion Hasim Rahman if the idea of one heavyweight champion is what you envision.
But the real surprise was the way Cedric Kushner allowed Don King to "back door" him and swipe away Hasim Rahman. Kushner never knew what hit him. Before Kushner was even aware King had contacted his client, King had allegedly already delivered a briefcase with $500,000 cash in it to Rahman securing the new King and Rahman deal.
Understandably Kushner immediately filed several lawsuits against both Rahman and King. But we all know King would not have approached Rahman unless his legal representatives had already discovered the loophole in the Rahman, Kushner contract.
With John Ruiz, Evander Holyfield and Hasim Rahman all under the Don King Productions umbrella, it will apparently be some time before either Mike Tyson or Lennox Lewis will get a shot at the Heavyweight Championship of the World crown.
With very little problem Don King put Hasim Rahman on the undercard of the Ruiz and Holyfield bout being held in Bejiing, China later this summer. The Chinese love heavyweights and they are especially fond of Don King.
The scenario lays out like this: Ruiz defeats Holyfield providing both with a nice fat payday. Hopefully the last for the fast-fading but gutty Holyfield.
Ruiz then gets Rahman whom he should defeat giving Don King history's first undisputed Latino Heavyweight Champion of the World and the immediate media blitz that will go with it.
The Latin American contingent will get to see their champion battle fighters in Madison Square Garden in New York unless the hotels in Las Vegas come to their senses and compromise with boxing promoters.
None of the anticipated opponents would have the last name Lewis or Tyson, unless…one, the other or both sign on with Don King Productions. This might seem an impossible task were it not for the deep pockets of Don King.
Should Mike Tyson, Lennox Lewis or both elect to sign on with Don King do not be surprised. They both now surely understand that their dodging of King for the last several years is over. He is in complete control and must be dealt with or retirement is the only other alternative.
Thanks to Don King when it comes to the game of professional boxing the term "stranger things have happened" has absolutely no meaning.
Stephen S. Johnson
05/29/01
Stephen Johnson "Boy Wonder" can be reached by email at sjohnson@insideboxing.com