Don King Boxing: VFW Resolves Lawsuit With Kingvision

The American Legion Post 299 in Chino, Calif., takes great pleasure in announcing that it has reached an amicable resolution of the lawsuit brought forth against its organization for the unlawful exhibition of the “Bring On The Titans” boxing telecast between Roy Jones Jr. and Felix Trinidad that took place on Jan. 19, 2008, at Madison Square Garden.

“The American Legion Post 299 wishes to thank Mr. Don King, Don King Productions, Inc., and KingVision Pay-Per-View, Ltd. for their assistance in bringing the matter to a timely conclusion” said Mr. Don Avila, Commander of the Post.

“Our organization is most grateful for the consideration of Mr. King and his companies and we have taken immediate measures to ensure that all future PPV telecasts are properly licensed.

“Despite the fact we are a non-profit veterans organization, we recognize that we too are subject to commercial licensing requirements and we urge all veterans and fraternal organizations to ensure they respect the intellectual property rights of the promoters and distributors of PPV sporting events.”

Don King has been a tireless supporter of the men and women, past and present, who have served in the American armed services. A popular visitor at American bases and military facilities throughout the world for over three decades—and someone who provides his matches free of charge to the American Forces Network, so American troops serving around the world can view telecasts of his fights for free—the pioneering boxing promoter Don King had this to say:

“Our gratitude to the veterans who have served this country is without limit. We cannot begin to express our thanks for the sacrifices made by the men and women who have fought for the freedoms enjoyed by our beautiful nation and on behalf of citizens in need throughout the world.

“While it is most unfortunate that the American Legion Post 299 received the signal to our boxing telecast inappropriately, we are most appreciative to the Post and all American Legions for their support of our championship boxing telecasts and for their cooperation in seeing that such events are properly licensed for exhibition.

“For many years, I have authorized my company to provide Don King Productions-promoted prizefights free-of-charge to nearly one million servicemen and women over the American Forces Network, serving 140 naval vessels and 275 military installations in nearly 177 countries around the globe.”

Named as one of the “40 Most Influential Sports Figures of the Past 40 Years” by Sports Illustrated, Don King has long been recognized for his contributions benefiting working-class communities and worthy charitable causes. His generous financial support of the NAACP, the United Negro College Fund, the Martin Luther King Jr. Foundation, the Simon Wiesenthal Center, and the National Hispanic Scholarship Fund, among several other organizations, colleges and hospitals has made him one of the world’s leading philanthropists.

During Thanksgiving weekend 2007, Don King surprised the U.S. forces in Iraq with an unannounced visit and a special private viewing of the “Ferocious” Fernando Vargas vs. Ricardo “El Matador” Mayorga super-fight live from Staples Center in Los Angeles via the American Forces Network. American service men and women, along with President George W. Bush, were included on the PPV telecast of the event beamed to all troops internationally via live satellite hook-up.

Following his historic USO-sponsored trip in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Mr. King was joined by five-time world champion Felix “Tito” Trinidad and eight-time world champion Roy Jones Jr. on a three-city stateside base tour, which included visits to West Point Military Academy, Elgin Air Force Base, Hulbert Field Training Base, the Pensacola Naval Station Air Station, Fort Buchanan, and Camp Santiago in Puerto Rico.

An ardent supporter of the United States military, Mr. King also visited Fort Campbell in Kentucky, home of the U.S. Army’s 101st Airborne Division, where he was named an Honorary “Screaming Eagle” by then Lieutenant and now United States Army General David H. Petraeus for his contributions and support of the American Armed Forces.