Don King is a controversial figure in boxing, but he is undoubtedly one of the most legendary promoters in the sport’s history.
The American promoter has promoted many of the biggest names in boxing history, although legal issues over the years have soured the public on Don King’s work in the industry.
As he turns 94 years old on August 20, here are five of the biggest fights King has ever promoted, including one of the biggest fights in history involving Muhammad Ali.
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5. Larry Holmes vs Gerry Cooney (1982)
In the 1980s, Don King was a keen promoter of Larry Holmes and helped make his world Heavyweight title fights must-see.
The biggest one was Holmes’ fight with Gerry Cooney, which marketed Cooney as a “Great White Hope” to dethrone Holmes and take his world title away and become the first white Heavyweight champion in 200 years.
This drew enormous interest, with pay-per-view and gate revenue to match, making it a huge commercial success for King.
Holmes would finish Cooney in the 13th round, but both men made out with $10 million purses for their roles in their fight.
4. Muhammad Ali vs Joe Frazier III (1975)
In a rematch of the Fight of the Century and Super Fight, Ali and Joe Frazier battled for the third and final time in the Thrilla in Manila, one of Ali’s most famous bouts.
The Philippines played host to this 1975 fight for the world Heavyweight championship, which saw both fighters share a $14 million purse, split in Ali’s favor.
It is one of the greatest boxing matches of all time and was promoted by King, who sold the fight to the Filipino president for big money.
While full financials are not available, the fight sold over 500,000 pay-per-views, setting a record at the time and making both men millions of dollars, including King.
3. Mike Tyson vs Michael Spinks (1988)
Mike Tyson earned over $140 million in a two-year period alongside King, which included a $20 million fee for his fight with Michael Spinks in 1988.
“Iron Mike” didn’t take long in dismantling the challenger in one of his biggest paydays, taking just 91 seconds to knock him out.
This was one of King’s best-promoted fights and helped cement Tyson as an even more impressive force to be reckoned with.
2. Muhammad Ali vs George Foreman (1974)
The “Rumble in the Jungle” is one of the biggest boxing matches to ever take place, and King managed to gross over $100 million by promoting the fight in Kinshasa, Zaire.
The bout pitted two undefeated legends against one another. Both men had held the world Heavyweight title, with Ali never losing it in the ring and instead being stripped of the belt after protesting the Vietnam War.
He was the underdog going into the bout with George Foreman, but he shocked the world by knocking him out in the eighth round in front of an estimated 50 million viewers in the United States.
Worldwide, an estimated billion boxing fans saw the historic bout, which was considered the most-watched broadcast in history at the time.
1. Mike Tyson vs Evander Holyfield II (1997)
Arguably, the biggest fight of King’s career as a promoter was also one of the most controversial ever, as he was the man behind the rematch between Tyson and Evander Holyfield.
After he was beaten by Holyfield in 1996, Tyson fought him in a rematch the following year, aiming to reclaim the world Heavyweight title.
While the title belt was his goal, Tyson came away with a part of Holyfield’s ear, as he chomped down on the champion’s head to get himself disqualified from the bout.
Despite Tyson being given the biggest fine in boxing history, King’s promotion of the fight helped generate more than $110 million, the biggest of his entire career.