Power: Don King, explores the extraordinary life of legendary boxing promoter Don King, his drive to stay on top, and his lasting imprint in sports and entertainment.
Hosted by author Panama Jackson, the co-founder of the award-winning VerySmartBrothas.com website and columnist at theGrio, the series will dive into the life of the bombastic boxing promoter, whose career highlights include the historic “The Rumble in the Jungle” and the “Thrilla in Manila” matches, and alliances with some of the biggest cultural icons outside of the ring, including Michael Jackson and The Jackson Family.
The first episode features Don Elbaum, the boxing promoter who helped Don King get his start and King’s long-time attorney and friend, Clarence Rogers.
King has led a remarkable life, filled with defenders and detractors and the series will explore all aspects of his epic journey, from his formative years filled with adversity and crime to becoming the most successful boxing promoter the sport has ever seen, and the first Black man to achieve that status.
While his larger-than-life appearance and commanding personality made him a star in and out of the ring, as did his promotion of greats like Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, Larry Holmes, Joe Frazier, King also faced accusations that his personal success was achieved by taking advantage of others.
The series will feature new interviews with those closest to him, as well as cultural commentators who cover the cross section of race and culture in media.
Panama Jackson said: “Don King isn’t a complicated man. In reality, his goals were pretty simple: be the biggest, best promoter and showman ever and make A LOT of money doing it! To that end, he was supremely successful.
“What is complicated though, is how that success—and the legacy built from it—looks in a historical context, which really depends on who you ask. He built an empire that made him rich but also made him look like a crook, but do you hate the player or hate the game? We’ll use this series to explore the nuance of that dichotomy; one that lives at the intersection of race, politics, sports, and power resulting in Don King’s hold over boxing and culture in the 70s, 80s, and 90s.”
Last year, Power: The Maxwells, captivated listeners around the world, climbing the global Apple Podcast charts and reaching the #1 spot on UK and Canadian charts and #3 on U.S. charts in its debut week. The second installment of the series explored the complicated legacy of Playboy’s Hugh Hefner and made global headlines with exclusive conversations with former associates and playmates.
Power: Don King is from Somethin’ Else, a part of Sony Music Entertainment’s Global Podcast Division, you can subscribe on all major podcast platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Stitcher.
Subscribe on Apple Podcasts to Power Plus: The Roundtable for exclusive access to ad-free episodes and a seat at the table each week as host Panama Jackson unpacks the drama from Don King’s life with his friends Jibri Griffin, Corey Wilson, and Tahira Henderson.
