Boxing impresario, one-time killer, HBO movie subject, Cleveland’s favorite coiffed son — many are the features in Don King’s cap. He’s also got a street rep for being a fierce foe, especially in the courtroom. Deadspin has dredged the deep legal flow of the U.S. Court of Appeals and found an interesting legal arm-wrestling match King has going now with the owner of a taco place in Puerto Rico.
Way back in the salad days of 2003, Delia Esquilin-Mendoza’s taco shop plucked a stray closed-circuit transmission of the Roy Jones Jr. — Jon Ruiz bout from the ether. Like Metallica and countless other rich tight asses before him, King was no fan of free content; his outfit — Don King Productions — sued Delia, eventually winning $12,000 for the bootleg screen time. When Delia didn’t cough up the change, King had her 1995 Toyota 4 Runner repo’d. But this must be one crafty taco seller, because Delia eventually got the ruling booted from the court on a technicality.
This article appears in Mar 2-8, 2011.
How is this man still free? I became reacquainted with his shady past recently by reading the Danny Greene mobster book, “To Kill an Irishman,” and I must say I am shocked and dismayed this man walks free. Wasn’t his biography titled, “Only in America”? Perfect, perfect title. Is there any justice in the world?
My deceased hubby knew Don King back in the 80’s…In 2001 or 2002 my daughter went on a church tour (I don’t remember where it was..I’m thinking Memphis Tn.)..Don King was there. She was able to get his attention & speak to him about “who” her father was. He seemed delighted to see her again. He signed her Bible…after returning home..within a month or so…the whole binding on the Bible fell apart! It was a brand new Bible, approx. 4 months old. I still cringe at the thought of that. she brought it to me and said “mom, look at my Bible” what can you tell a 14yr old??