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The Times (of London) - June 05, 2006
King finds his Kong to take on the world again
By Ron Lewis
Our correspondent hears the promoter's predictions for Nicolay Valuev after he retained his WBA world heavyweight title
DON KING had gone from hello to full rhetoric in about 30 seconds. Now he was quoting Shakespeare, talking of uniting Russia and the United States, and all the while giving praise to a huge man who had just left the room and did not understand a word he said.
“He defends the honour of women. No one can hurt his wife in the parking lot, he helps the old lady across the street, he grabs the little baby from under the car - he’s a man of the people, with pride, dignity, compassion and understanding,” King said, hitting full flow. “Nicolay, Nicolay our new champion.”
Nicolay Valuev had just gone up in recognition from lumbering giant to genuine heavyweight champion. The freak show had become a boxing show and King had his eyes on a genuine worldwide attraction.
Owen “What The Heck” Beck had been handpicked to lose in Hanover on Saturday. He gave away 10in in height and 5½st in weight. In the first round he tried to swarm towards Valuev, who held him off with one enormous paw - the crowd laughed. Later in the round, a clubbing right buckled Beck’s knees but the vital moment for Beck’s morale came in the second when he landed an overhand right to the side of the Russian’s head and Valuev didn’t even blink.
Valuev showed improved speed, he looked fitter - he had lost half a stone since winning the WBA title from John Ruiz in December - and threw powerful punches and combinations. Near the end of the second round, a six-punch salvo dropped Beck to the canvas. In the third, a right uppercut knocked Beck on his back. As he rose, dazed and with blood running down his nose, Luis Pabon, the referee, foolishly waved him back into action, only to jump to his rescue as Valuev landed with three shots.
The German crowd that had sneered, booed and never warmed to the 7ft Russian stood and cheered. Valuev, for his part, smiled - a big, warm smile.
King may be only the junior partner behind Wilfried Sauerland in the Valuev business, but that was not about to stop him. This was a monster he could take to America, this was a man he could take anywhere. “He will be undisputed champion of the whole world and people or all races, colours, creeds and religions can give praise to Nicolay because he doesn’t discriminate, he knocks them all out,” King said. “He’s a Russian and he’s coming with love.”
Six months ago, King was promoting all four world heavyweight champions and promising a unification tournament between them. Now, he has sole promotional rights only to one - Sergei Liakhovich, the WBO champion from Belarus. Hasim Rahman, the WBC champion, left to join Bob Arum, while Chris Byrd, who has since lost his IBF title to Wladimir Klitschko, also walked away.
In the past eight months, four world heavyweight title bouts have taken place in Germany and only three in the United States. It is a situation that King seems comfortable with. Famous for waving two mini American flags, King now talks of his love for “the Doitchland”.
Sides are easily crossed. “There were a lot of Americans who didn’t prepare, they didn’t practise their trade,” King said. “Larry Holmes is one of the few that worked very hard, worked to succeed. He went to camp, suffering, cutting down trees, running up mountains, dedicating, going to church, working, working, working - that’s how you become a champion. The Americans have to get out there and rededicate themselves and persevere.”
Plans are afoot for Valuev’s invasion of the United States. There will be a summer media tour followed by a defence in New York in September or October. Despite King’s talk of selling him as a man of the people, the big monster will be going to Broadway and King has in mind a photo-shoot on top of the Empire State Building. King has found his Kong.
“America is yearning for him to come,” King said. “The bird of Russia is flying, the bird of Russia is singing. Everyone thinks he’s just a big oaf, that he can’t think, that he can’t speak - I beg to differ. He may not be able to articulate in the way Muhammad Ali did, but as he grows, he will learn.”
It is all a far cry from Valuev’s first trips to America. He boxed twice at the Taj Mahal, Donald Trump’s resort on the Atlantic City Boardwalk. He won both times but nobody cared - he was just a sideshow oddball attraction.
Now he is King’s life raft among the heavyweights. According to the contract, he is Valuev’s co-promoter only for his next three bouts, but he has plans to be around for longer than that. “There’s a contract of the heart,” King said. “He’s a good fighter, judge him on his talents. That’s why I’m clinging to him, there’s no way that I’m going to let him go as long as he remains human.”
But why should Valuev stick with King? “I’m a money-getter,” King said. “The rest of them are just small time when it comes to getting money. I get money in bundles.”
