Sports

Don King wants tribute for Venezuelan president Chavez

Boxing clashed with politics yesterday as Don King mourned the death of Hugo Chavez. The Hall of Fame promoter professed his love for the Venezuelan president and put HBO and the New York State Athletic Commission in an uncomfortable position by asking a 10-count be held before Saturday night’s boxing card at the Barclays Center.

A 10-count, conducted with 10 rings of the bell, is held when someone of note in the boxing community has died. Other than King’s endorsement, it is unclear whether Chavez qualifies. Even if he did, a 10-count for the controversial leader would please some and anger others.

“Many people may or may not like him or whatever they may do,” King said. “But I love him. He was my brother.”

King never has been shy about mixing boxing and politics. He has made a career of blending both to produce some of the most memorable fights the sport has ever witnessed. He proudly displayed a Barack Obama button yesterday after being a long-time supporter of both Bush Administrations. He’s also friends with Cablevision and Garden owner Jim Dolan.

“I’m a promoter of the people by the people and for the people and my magic lies in my people ties,” King likes to say.

He is in town this week to promote Saturday night’s IBF light heavyweight championship between unbeaten champion Tavoris Cloud of Tallahassee and 48-year-old former light heavyweight champ Bernard Hopkins of Philadelphia at the Barclays Center. HBO will televise.

Golden Boy Promotions is the lead promoter, but King is Cloud’s promoter, earning him some time on the mike yesterday. He opened with his tribute to Chavez, whom King met in 1971 when Chavez worked security for a fight card in Caracas.

“This man represented Venezuela with the downtrodden, the under-privileged, the denied, the poor,” King said. “People that never seen doctors before, he took the doctors to the people rather than the people coming to the doctors. He’s going to be missed greatly. He was a great leader, and he cared about the people that he represented.”

King might get an argument from those who considered Chavez an enemy of the United States. He once called Bush “the devil.” As yesterday’s press conference ended, King suggested Chavez be honored with a 10-count. HBO and NYSAC officials nervously smiled but made no guarantees.

For starters, this isn’t King’s show. Golden Boy picked the venue and worked out the television deal. King’s influence in boxing has diminished over the years. He is hoping a victory by Cloud (24-0, 19 KOs) over the decorated but fading Hopkins (52-6-2, 32 KOs) will put him back in play.

If that doesn’t work, King already is trying to rally support for a round-robin of rematches between Hopkins and Felix Trinidad or a Trinidad rematch with Oscar De La Hoya. King is still irked Hopkins defeated Trinidad in one of the first sporting events at the Garden following 9/11. “He really wasn’t at the top of his game,” King said of Trinidad. Hopkins might be up for it though Trinidad and De La Hoya seem to have settled into retirement.