With Elvis Presley dead these 30 years, FedExForum is
unlikely to see as many rhinestones as it did Thursday afternoon on the denim
jacket of one Don King. In Memphis to promote Saturday night’s “Border Battle”
between world middleweight champion Jermain Taylor (of Little Rock) and Cory
Spinks (of St. Louis), King managed to quote Abraham Lincoln, the Bible, the
ghetto (“back there we have a saying: SKD, something kinda different”), and his
own dictionary (“This is gonna be like one of those orchestrations by Mozart.”).
His tie covered by a half-dozen necklaces, and his likeness not only on the
shoulder but also the back of said denim jacket (“Only in America,” the
rhinestones said), King introduced his fighter — Spinks — only after
encouraging all Americans to make sure we fund our troops in Iraq “irrespective”
of how we feel about President George W. Bush.
It was that kind of press conference.
Promoter Lou DiBella — the man behind Taylor and the
reason this megafight (to be televised live on HBO) is in Memphis — served as
emcee for a 90-minute verbal show that we can only hope will be topped when the
gloves are actually laced up. “I’ve got Bob Arum to my left and Don King to my
right,” said DiBella as he introduced himself through a smile. “I’m feeling a
little boxed in.”
Boxed in may have described Taylor’s take on things as
well, at least for the first hour of the press conference, where everyone but
the cameramen in the back of the grand lobby seemed to want the belt he now
wears. A pair of young contenders — Kelly Pavlik from Youngstown, Ohio, and
Edison Miranda from Colombia — shared the dais and will square off on the
undercard Saturday night. While Pavlik was an easy punchline for King — the
requisite “white boy” among the pugilistic set — Miranda managed to bring out
the “dog” in Taylor without saying a word of English.
Wearing a white t-shirt (“Undisputed Brand”) that Taylor
later expressed great offense over, Miranda — through his interpreter —
described how pleased he was to be in Memphis during this great barbecue
weekend. And how he looked forward to making barbecue of Mr. Pavlik. He went so
far as to say he’d fight the champion Taylor for the same purse he’ll earn
Saturday night on the undercard . . . surely as offensive a proposition as a man
in Taylor’s sharp gray suit could expect. Having knocked out 24 of his 29
opponents, Miranda is on his way to entering the ring for a title shot. When
that night comes, if it’s Taylor in the opposite corner, buy yourself a ticket.
There’s nothing like old-fashioned dislike (hatred?) to fuel a title fight.
As for the champ, Taylor was at the microphone no more
than ten minutes. He was first charming, the diamond studs in his ears
complementing a smile rarely seen in the sweet science. But the anger — “the
dog in me!” — came out when he looked at the other fighters and saw the
t-shirts (on Miranda and Spinks) and sweat suits (on Pavlik). “This is why I’m
the champ!” he shouted, the microphone now superfluous. “I look like a champ!
I’m trying to represent the sport of boxing, and look at the way everyone else
has dressed. And the talk! I don’t play. I don’t play!! They’ll talk, and I’ll
hit you in the mouth!” Taylor returned to his seat only after a gentle nudge
from his trainer, Hall of Famer Emanuel Steward.
Three feet to
Taylor’s right as he was releasing his inner canine? Don King, holding two
American flags. Say it together: Only in America.
