Podcast
Powerplay
Hosted by BBC Radio 5 Live · EN
Don King killed two men. The first case was ruled justifiable homicide. In 1967 he was found guilty of stomping to death an employee, Sam Garrett, on the street. Garret owed him $600. Released just five years later and later pardoned, King entered the world of boxing, promoting some of the biggest fights in sports history, including The Rumble in the Jungle, and managing the most famous names in the fight game, including Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson. Former heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis and boxing writer Steve Bunce tell the story of the controversial life of Don King.
10episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Episode 8: The Endless Struggles of King
Jun 27, 202400:29:57Tap to summarizeDon King was fighting for his position as the top of boxing. He went to court for Mike Tyson’s next fight and their very own ‘Watergate’. And, what of King now?
Transcribe →Episode 7: Buster Douglas Knocks Out King
Jun 20, 202400:40:23Tap to summarizeA harrowing defeat for Mike Tyson in Tokyo. King, was sitting at ringside next to Donald Trump, his guest in Japan. His fighter lost, but King always had a plan.
Transcribe →Episode 6: Breaking Hearts and Minds, How King Got Tyson
Jun 13, 202400:26:29Tap to summarizeWith contributions from boxing insiders and former fighters, we hear about King’s relentless pursuit of power and money, with Mike Tyson at the helm of his stable of boxers.
Transcribe →Episode 5: The End of Muhammad Ali and The Birth of The Lost Generation
Jun 6, 202400:35:00Tap to summarizeFeaturing Heavyweight Champion Tim Witherspoon, Steve Bunce and Lennox Lewis on the so-called ‘Lost Generation’ as Don King was attracting the attention of the FBI.
Transcribe →Episode 4: The Full King Takeover
May 30, 202400:39:14Tap to summarizeDon King was at the very top of Boxing, and he meant to stay there. Steve Bunce and Lennox Lewis with the story.
Transcribe →Episode 3: King Makes The Rumble Happen
May 23, 202400:30:54Tap to summarizeIn October 1974 Muhammad Ali and George Foreman had a ‘Rumble in the Jungle’, a fight that has become one of the most famous events in sports history, and Don King made it happen.
Transcribe →Episode 2: Free at Last
May 16, 202400:32:30Tap to summarizeUndisputed World Heavyweight Champion Lennox Lewis and Steve Bunce examine the early days of Don King, Boxing Promoter, as he prepares to take on the fight game.
Transcribe →Episode 1: The Death of Sam Garrett, The Birth of Don King
May 9, 202400:35:29Tap to summarizeVeteran fight aficionado Steve Bunce is alongside Heavyweight Champion of the World, Lennox Lewis, to examine the early life and crimes of notorious Boxing promoter Don King.
Transcribe →Introducing... Powerplay: The House of Don King
May 6, 202400:01:44Tap to summarizeSteve Bunce and Lennox Lewis take a dive into one of the most recognisable and enduring figures in boxing, promoter Don King, with contributions from rivals, partners, law enforcers and fighters.
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Sepp Blatter: 10. Plus CAF Change
Dec 13, 202200:35:35Tap to summarizeIn the aftermath of Sepp Blatter’s downfall, what is his legacy at FIFA and in Qatar?
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