Iconic Boxing Promoter Don King Facing Health Challenges
Legendary boxing promoter Don King was hospitalized with health issues recently … spending more than a week receiving treatment a local facility, TMZ Sports has confirmed.
Mike Tyson — who worked with King for nearly two decades — first revealed the development during an interview with Cam’ron and Mase on the “It Is What It Is” podcast this week … when he was asked about his current relationship with his former promoter.
“You know, Don is not doing well right now,” the 58-year-old boxer said on Friday. “He’s probably close to 100 years old, he’s not doing well.”
We reached out to our DK sources to get more information … and we were told he isn’t in the best of shape health-wise — he had a 10-day stint in the hospital and received a blood transfusion.
He is now at home recovering.
Tyson and King, 93, had a falling out back in the day — he sued King for $100 million in 1998, claiming he was cheated out of millions of dollars. The lawsuit was settled out of court for $14 million … and Mike then cut ties with Don in the early 2000s.
But on Friday, when reflecting on everything they went through … Tyson said it was a valuable lesson.
“I believe Don King pretty much educated me,” Tyson said of the money situation. “That will never happen again.”
“It’s an experience — so that won’t happen again. Now you go in life with an experience so that’s not gonna happen again. Maybe something else but that’s not gonna happen again.”
King has worked with a ton of legends in the sport — including Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, George Foreman, Evander Holyfield, Julio Cesar Chavez, Roberto Duran, Bernard Hopkins and more.
He’s also famous for setting up “The Rumble in the Jungle” and “Thrilla in Manila” fights between Ali and Foreman — some of the biggest matches in boxing history.
Feel better, Don!