Don King is facing a $3 billion lawsuit in New York federal court after he ruined his efforts during the fight between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman.
Boxing promoter Don King, 93, born on August 20, 1931, is known for his involvement in several historic boxing matchups.
Highlights
- Cecil Miller filed a lawsuit against the boxing promoter Don King. The lawsuit seeks at least $3 billion in damages.
- King and Miller started working together in 2021 for a promotional deal for the late boxer Alonzo Butler.
- In 1998, Mike Tyson sued a lawsuit against Don King for $100 million.
In 1954, King shot a man in the back after spotting him trying to rob one of his gambling houses; this incident was ruled a justifiable homicide.
Later, in 1967, he was convicted of voluntary manslaughter for stomping one of his employees to death because he owed him $600.
For this, he served three years and eleven months in prison.
BYD Sports Founder Cecil Miller Filed A Lawsuit In The U.S. District Court Against Don King
Don King is facing a $3 billion lawsuit filed by a sports manager who claims King wrecked his efforts to put an event in Nigeria commemorating the 50th anniversary of the “Rumble in the Jungle” heavyweight championship fight.
BYD Sports’ founder, Cecil Miller, alleged that Don defamed and defrauded him by sending a cease-and-desist letter to everyone involved in producing the anniversary event.
The event was scheduled for during the 2024 Global Entrepreneurship Festival in Nigeria, with a match between Sugar Shane Mosley and Victor Ortiz.
The cease-and-desist letter, posted for King’s Florida-based production company, states that King never authorized Miller to stage the event.
Happy 93rd Birthday to Boxing Promoter Donald King aka Don King!!! (August 20, 1931) #DonKing pic.twitter.com/wF6b7f2ZjE
— Aywon Williams (@AywonWilliams) August 21, 2024
However, Miller claimed that King had permitted him to do so years before and had been involved in various aspects of the planning process.
While filing the lawsuit, Miller said,
“DKP claimed they had no knowledge of the event, yet, surprisingly, they knew exactly whom to send their Cease and Desist to in the Nigerian government. DKP’s letter, directly aimed at contacts provided by BYD,”
Cecil Miller
According to the lawsuit, Miller and King started working together in 2021 for a promotional deal for the late boxer Alonzo Butler.
Over time, they collaborated on different projects, with King disclosing his plans to stage a commemorative event for the 1974 “Rumble in the Jungle” match between George Foreman and Muhammad Ali.
The lawsuit also revealed that when King needed some help from Miller to put the fight in Africa in 2024, Miller started working with bankers in the U.S. and Africa to organize an event.
However, King later declined to sign any written agreement.
Miller claimed that throughout preparations, King offered assurances that Miller could proceed with the event, including allegedly offering to compile the fight card.
King went silent during the final months of planning when Miller coordinated the final logistics and secured sponsorships and visas.
On October 28, 2024, King called Miller and denied his involvement in the planning.
The lawsuit seeks at least $3 billion in damages, including $600 million in lost revenue for the initial fight and $2.4 billion for lost prospective revenue.
Additionally, the damages appear to be based on the revenues from the 1974 “Rumble in the Jungle,” watched by an estimated 1 billion people worldwide.
The lawsuit joins a long list of complaints against Don King, who has been promoted and sued by some of the biggest names in boxing.
Famous boxing promoter Don King has endorsed Donald Trump for President. pic.twitter.com/NJnX9teaap
— TEAM USA (@__TEAM_USA) May 9, 2024
A long-time client of Don, Mike Tyson sued him in 1998 for $100 million, alleging that King exploited him and cheated him out of millions.
When asked for comment, Miller’s counselor, Anthony J.M. Jones, expressed his disappointment that the anniversary special could not succeed. Jones said,
“We’re in 2025 and a 50th year homecoming has not been able to be produced,” “It’s sad for boxing. It’s sad for Africa. It’s just unfortunate. We had boxers here, in Africa and the U.S. A lot of people put effort into this and it was kind of swept away.”
Anthony J.M. Jones
However, Don King Productions company hasn’t responded to the lawsuit yet.
Additional Information
- Don King has an estimated net worth of around $150 million as of 2025.
- King’s wife, Henrietta King, passed away on December 2, 2010, at the age of 87.
- He was born to his father, Clarence King, and his mother, Hattie King.
