Friday, October 06, 2006 Sayson: Meeting Don King By Homer Sayson Secondovertime
CHICAGO - If I had any doubts about Don King being the greatest salesman in the history of the world, it all vanished when I met him yesterday at the Skyline Room of the All-State Arena, where the final press conference for the Big Red October event was held.
The 75-year old boxing promoter was a joy to watch. He smiled at every video or camera, spoke to every microphone, and his loud, infectious laughter gave life to a large gathering that was slowly becoming more rigid than an autopsy.
Wearing his patented electric shock hairdo, King proved to be quite a fashionista. He wore denim pants, patriotic sneakers that had the good 'ole red, white and blue in them, and he capped the ensemble with a denim jacket that had his image on it, as well as the words "Thrilla in Manila," "Only In America," and "The Greatest Nation in the World."
And yes, he was dripping with diamonds. "They're a girl's best friend. And men, too," King told a reporter, a comment that made a small circle of spectators burst into laughter.
In the rarest time that he actually wasn't talking to somebody, I made my move.
"Good afternoon, Mr. King," I said. Sitting on a table by the buffet, he craned his neck to the left, but before he could say another word, I threw another flurry. "I'm Homer Sayson, a sportswriter from Sun.Star Cebu in the Philippines. Can I talk to you for a second?"
Apparently, it didn't take much time for King to process all that I had told him. Quickly, he sprang from his seat and blurted, "Ah, Filipino. I love you all, guys. I put you in the map with 'Thrilla in Manila."
He also mentioned the late Ferdinand Marcos, but I wasn't quick enough with my pen to decipher what the reference was about. Anyway, he was a terrific interview. He listens intently to every question and he looks you straight in the eyes, which would have been quite intimidating had I not been seasoned by my past brushes with countless NBA superstars.
I asked King if he had desired to promote Manny Pacquiao. "Of course, but I never got the chance," he said, obviously referring to the fact that Oscar Dela Hoya met PacMan at the LA airport when he arrived from the Phippines and dined the Pinoy sensation all the way to a contract signing.
King also blasted at Pacquiao's current promoter, "Shelly Finkel is one of the most devious guys in the business." But King had nothing but love for Manny, "he's a terrific fighter. It would be delighted to work with him in the future.
Just as we were both warming up for a really, really long chat, one of King's assistants sequestered the Don to talk about some contract.
olitely, King excused himself. But he did oblige me with a photo-op, and he smiled so proudly, a smile so huge it almost devoured me. We shook hands and went about our seprate ways. But clearly, it was I who had the better end of the deal. I went home with a good interview with Don King, a memory to last a lifetime.
