Chat Transcript
CBS SportsLine.com
May 8, 2001

Known all around the world for his booming personality and hairstyle, King has been a promoter for three decades. (Allsport)

One of the worlds greatest boxing promoters answered your questions about the upcoming fight between World Boxing Assoc. champion William Joppy and WBA/IBF junior middle weight champion Felix Trinidad that takes place on May 12 from Madison Square Garden live on pay-per-view.

King has created a middleweight unification tournament that will unify the middleweight championship which hasn't been unified since the mid-80's when Marvin Hagler held all three titles. The series began with International Boxing Federation champion Bernard Hopkins defeating WBC Champion Keith Holmes. Hopkins will face either Joppy or Trinidad for the Sugar Ray Robinson trophy.

Known all around the world for his booming personality and hairstyle, King has been a promoter for three decades and has promoted more than 500 world championship fights. He has helped almost 100 boxers earn $1 million or more and was the first promoter to guarantee $1 million paydays to non-heavyweights.

To get more information about the fight, log on to TVKO.com.

Don King: Hello everyone! It is a great pleasure to be on CBS SportsLine and chat with you through the technological marvel of the information superhighway!

Question: What inspired you to set up the tournament to unify the middleweight title?

Don King: There are so many doomsayers and naysayers who say that people in boxing are not doing enough for the sport. I heard the critics! I answered the challenge! I wanted to create something super sensational that the public and the media could get behind. There are three recognized champions in the middleweight division. Keith Holmes had the the WBC, Bernard "The Executioner" Hopkins has the IBF (and Bernard took Keith's WBC title on April 14th) and William Joppy is the WBA Champion. Tito Trinidad took the challenge to move from 154 lbs up to middleweight at 160 lbs to make everyone's dreams come true! A four man tournament to determine the undisputed champion of the world and everyone loves it!

Question: Where do you think Felix Trinidad ranks in terms of the best fighters in the world today?

Don King: Only time will tell. Obviously he is a great champion of today but to be remembered with the great fighters of ALL time, such as Sugar Ray Robinson, Muhammad Ali, Rocky Marciano, and others, he will have to beat WBA Middleweight champion William Joppy on Saturday night in the Garden. And then go on beat IBF and WBC Middleweight champ Bernard "The Executioner" Hopkins on September 15th for the Middleweight Wold Championship Series finale! Furthermore, I will tell you this, if he goes on to win the MWCS and then faces Roy Jones Jr. at 168 lbs and is fortunate enough to beat him, I think he will be up there with Muhammad Ali and the others as one of the greatest boxers of all time! He would be 42-0 at that time. But he has got a long way to go. Viva Puerto Rico!!

Question: Who do you like to win the fight?

Don King: You've got an irresistible force against an immovable object. And something must give. And give it will! On Saturday night in the Garden. Tito Trinidad is a proud champion from the island of Puerto Rico. He said, before he fought Fernando Vargas, that he would fight until death to win. The difference between him and other boxers is that he meant it! He's fighting for glory! For himself and his country and his family. On the other hand, William Joppy is a sensational boxer that not everybody knows about yet. Boxers know about him. But the public is just starting to find out about him, even though he is going into his 35th professional fight. I have to tell you that I think Tito is in for the challenge of his life on Saturday night!

Question: Who do you think Rahman should fight next?

Don King: I would love to see Rock fight the WBA Heavyweight champion I promote, John Ruiz, the first latino heavyweight champion in history!

Question: What's the significance of your hair?

Don King: One night I was laying in bed and I felt the hairs on my head stand up one by one. PING! PING! PING!

Question: Do you think Mike Tyson will get a chance to regain the Heavyweight Championship of the World?

Don King: He certainly has the talent to win it all again. I guess we will just have to wait and see whether he can do it or not.

Question: What did you think of the movie that was made about your life?

Don King: While much of it was not -factually- true, I did get a kick out of it. I have noticed that whenever I am making big news in boxing, they seem to re-run that movie on HBO! So they must be making money off of that movie. It is also funny because I am the one who put THEM in the boxing business.

Question: Have you given any thought of retiring?

Don King: I always say that I will slow down but I never seem to get around to it! I will be 70, God willing, in August and I truly love giving the public shows they want to see. So I am not in that rocking chair yet!

Question: Who would you rate as the greatest fighter of all time?

Don King: Personally I think the best fist fighter ever was Sugar Ray Robinson.

Don King: I would like to thank all of you who logged on to our CBS SportsLine chat. I not only want to thank CBS SportsLine but I want to recognize an unsung heroes who do all the work behind the scenes to make this and all our events great! If you can't be with us at the Garden in New York City on Saturday night, I urge you to call your local cable operator or satellite provider and buy Felix "Tito" Trinidad vs. William Joppy. It is going to be a barn-burner!! God Bless you all!