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| Don King reveals plans for Bermane Stiverne to fight ‘King of the Nile’ | Don King reveals plans for Bermane Stiverne to fight ‘King of the Nile’ |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| The hair doesn’t quite have the lustre or ping of old, but Don King, at 82, has a few electric shocks left for his obituary writers. The latest of them is among his most outrageous: his announcement here on Tuesday that he hopes to bring the new WBC heavyweight champion, Bermane “B Ware” Stiverne, to Egypt in November to make his first defence against the most feared puncher in boxing, Deontay Wilder. | The hair doesn’t quite have the lustre or ping of old, but Don King, at 82, has a few electric shocks left for his obituary writers. The latest of them is among his most outrageous: his announcement here on Tuesday that he hopes to bring the new WBC heavyweight champion, Bermane “B Ware” Stiverne, to Egypt in November to make his first defence against the most feared puncher in boxing, Deontay Wilder. |
| The American promoter said: “I want to hold it in the shadows of the Pyramids and it’s going to be called King of the Nile.” Forty years after King put together the Rumble in the Jungle, this would complete a unique hat-trick of global presentations, each with its own catchy label, to go with the Rumble and the Thrilla in Manila of 1975. | The American promoter said: “I want to hold it in the shadows of the Pyramids and it’s going to be called King of the Nile.” Forty years after King put together the Rumble in the Jungle, this would complete a unique hat-trick of global presentations, each with its own catchy label, to go with the Rumble and the Thrilla in Manila of 1975. |
| While the first two fights – with Muhammad Ali starring in both – were the high points of a glittering and some times controversial career, King has survived all subsequent attempts to bury him, from mob threats to serial vilification in the media. | While the first two fights – with Muhammad Ali starring in both – were the high points of a glittering and some times controversial career, King has survived all subsequent attempts to bury him, from mob threats to serial vilification in the media. |
| Two months ago in Los Angeles, Stiverne, a 35-year-old Haitian who rebuilt a troubled life in Canada and has lived in Las Vegas for 10 years chasing unlikely ring glory, threw his promoter a lifeline when he stopped Chris Arreola in the sixth round to win the WBC title vacated by Vitali Klitschko, whose battlefield is now the more complicated political landscape of Ukraine. | Two months ago in Los Angeles, Stiverne, a 35-year-old Haitian who rebuilt a troubled life in Canada and has lived in Las Vegas for 10 years chasing unlikely ring glory, threw his promoter a lifeline when he stopped Chris Arreola in the sixth round to win the WBC title vacated by Vitali Klitschko, whose battlefield is now the more complicated political landscape of Ukraine. |
| That win, secured with two impressive knockdowns (one of which injured his hand, forcing an extended lay-off), catapulted King back into the big picture after nearly a decade on the fringes. A year ago, one critic observed: “It is truly clear that Don King is finished. Only the caricature bordering on self-parody remains.” | That win, secured with two impressive knockdowns (one of which injured his hand, forcing an extended lay-off), catapulted King back into the big picture after nearly a decade on the fringes. A year ago, one critic observed: “It is truly clear that Don King is finished. Only the caricature bordering on self-parody remains.” |
| Maybe so, but the caricature has been in buoyant mood since arriving here on Saturday, defying recommendations by US State Department officials concerned for the safety of Americans in the volatile environment of worsening regional conflict. At least six American and European airlines have suspended flights to Tel Aviv after a rocket attack near Ben Gurion Airport, as well as the mounting death toll in Gaza. | Maybe so, but the caricature has been in buoyant mood since arriving here on Saturday, defying recommendations by US State Department officials concerned for the safety of Americans in the volatile environment of worsening regional conflict. At least six American and European airlines have suspended flights to Tel Aviv after a rocket attack near Ben Gurion Airport, as well as the mounting death toll in Gaza. |
| King, nevertheless, flew into Cairo, waving flags of all persuasions and had quick talks with the American ambassador. On Tuesday he charmed local media with his megaphone message as the Peace Fighter. | King, nevertheless, flew into Cairo, waving flags of all persuasions and had quick talks with the American ambassador. On Tuesday he charmed local media with his megaphone message as the Peace Fighter. |
| Moments before he taped an interview with the celebrated local TV presenter Youssef Hosseiny, King took a call from the US secretary of state, John Kerry, who advised him he might be late for his press conference that night as he was down for talks with Egypt’s new president, Abdul Fattah el-Sisi. | |
| King will also talk with Sisi – after his Egyptian hosts show him the Pyramids, Luxor and the Valley of the Kings – hoping to persuade him to bankroll his fight to restore confidence in the country’s battered tourism industry. Tourist traffic is down 20% in the 12 months to June, because of rumbling civil unrest, as well as the imprisonment for seven years of three al-Jazeera journalists accused of conspiring with the Muslim Brotherhood to “broadcast bad news”. | King will also talk with Sisi – after his Egyptian hosts show him the Pyramids, Luxor and the Valley of the Kings – hoping to persuade him to bankroll his fight to restore confidence in the country’s battered tourism industry. Tourist traffic is down 20% in the 12 months to June, because of rumbling civil unrest, as well as the imprisonment for seven years of three al-Jazeera journalists accused of conspiring with the Muslim Brotherhood to “broadcast bad news”. |
| King said he would do his best to intervene on behalf of the journalists – not a species of whom he has always been fond. Drawing on all his oratorial gifts, he praised Sisi in a long, hilarious interview with Hosseiny, due to be aired on Wednesday. At one point, King had to interrupt the interview to turn off his three mobile phones, all of which were ringing. | King said he would do his best to intervene on behalf of the journalists – not a species of whom he has always been fond. Drawing on all his oratorial gifts, he praised Sisi in a long, hilarious interview with Hosseiny, due to be aired on Wednesday. At one point, King had to interrupt the interview to turn off his three mobile phones, all of which were ringing. |
| Earlier King rehearsed a poem he had written for the president: “Egypt, Egypt hear my cry, V-I-C-T-O-R-Y, Victory for peace is our quest, To lead us to that goal at the people’s request, El Fattah el-Sisi is the best, Yay Sisi, may the blessings of Allah, Guide you in this mission.” | Earlier King rehearsed a poem he had written for the president: “Egypt, Egypt hear my cry, V-I-C-T-O-R-Y, Victory for peace is our quest, To lead us to that goal at the people’s request, El Fattah el-Sisi is the best, Yay Sisi, may the blessings of Allah, Guide you in this mission.” |
| If the scansion was reminiscent of Ali, it hit the spot with a local audience new to King’s theatrical style. | If the scansion was reminiscent of Ali, it hit the spot with a local audience new to King’s theatrical style. |
| Wilder is Stirvane’s mandatory challenger, and by some way his toughest assignment. The tall American, who won bronze at the Beijing Olympics, has levelled all of his 31 professional opponents, among them Britain’s ever-disappointing Audley Harrison, who fell inside a round (and who recently rang King to see if he could facilitate another comeback, at 42). | Wilder is Stirvane’s mandatory challenger, and by some way his toughest assignment. The tall American, who won bronze at the Beijing Olympics, has levelled all of his 31 professional opponents, among them Britain’s ever-disappointing Audley Harrison, who fell inside a round (and who recently rang King to see if he could facilitate another comeback, at 42). |
| King has one more surprise for the doubters, providing Stiverne beats Wilder. “I want him to fight Mike Tyson,” he said. “George Foreman came back at 47, and Mike can too.” | King has one more surprise for the doubters, providing Stiverne beats Wilder. “I want him to fight Mike Tyson,” he said. “George Foreman came back at 47, and Mike can too.” |
| It is no more improbable than anything else he has pulled off in four decades of unrivalled chutzpah. | It is no more improbable than anything else he has pulled off in four decades of unrivalled chutzpah. |