Prominent boxing promoter Don King, renowned for his successful partnerships with legendary fighters such as Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson, finds himself entangled in a civil lawsuit that accuses him of fraudulent activities. The lawsuit revolves around a failed attempt to revive the iconic boxing event, Rumble in the Jungle 2, as a tribute to Ali’s historic clash with the undefeated heavyweight George Foreman in 1974.
Don King, the controversial boxing promoter, along with his Florida-based production company, is facing a civil lawsuit filed by BYD Sports and CEO Cecil Miller. The lawsuit, which was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, accuses Don King and his company of fraud, defamation, breach of contract, and other misconduct. The plaintiffs are seeking a staggering $3 billion in damages.
According to the complaint and court documents that outline their interactions, King allegedly urged Miller to organize a 50th anniversary matchup titled Rumble in the Jungle 2 in Africa. Miller took action on this despite the absence of a formal agreement. He began laying the foundation for a series of high-profile boxing matches in Nigeria, complete with a desired lineup of musical performances featuring artists like John Legend, Alicia Keys, and Wyclef Jean. However, King allegedly backed out when Miller requested his assistance in promoting the event. He disowned Miller before the plans could be solidified.
Attorney Anthony J.M. Jones, who represents Miller, stated that King disrupted the event in its final stages, despite initially attempting to stay on the outskirts of the planning process carried out by Miller. Jones expressed his confusion, saying, “It’s perplexing when you consider the number of people involved in this.”
“It’s truly a somber moment for the sport,” he expressed. “We find ourselves in the year 2025, and the opportunity to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the historic Foreman vs Ali fight in Africa will forever elude us.”
Fortune’s request for comment from King went unanswered.
In Miller’s lawsuit, the court documents present a cease-and-desist letter that King shared on his Instagram account. The letter accuses Miller of misleading government officials by claiming that King had given him permission to organize a Rumble in the Jungle 50th anniversary event. Miller’s attorney refuted these allegations, labeling King’s actions as “sabotage.”
Before the rift, King and Miller had a cordial relationship, as stated in the complaint. The documents reveal that King reassured Miller that his alleged controversies were a thing of the past and shared that he had found solace in religion after his wife’s passing in 2010. King saw an opportunity to improve his tarnished reputation by collaborating with Miller, who is identified as “a preacher’s son” in the complaint. As a result, King and Miller made a deal on behalf of boxer Alonzo “Big Zo” Butler and King’s production company, Don King Productions. Subsequently, on August 28, 2021, a fight between Butler and boxer Brandon Spencer took place (both Butler and Spencer have since passed away).
After the match, King shared with Miller that he was planning an event called “Rumble in the Jungle 2” to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the historic boxing match between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman. This iconic battle, where Ali used his “rope-a-dope” strategy to tire out Foreman by the eighth round, occurred on October 30, 1974, in what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo. The success of this event propelled King to fame, and Miller expressed his excitement upon hearing about it.
Miller and King developed a friendly relationship, with King even giving Miller a rare coin as a gift. They also had conversations with Miller’s father and daughter. Approximately a year later, Miller inquired about the progress of Rumble in the Jungle 2. Given King’s age of 92 years at the time, Miller believed that King required assistance in organizing the fight to be held in Africa in 2024.
According to the complaint, Miller alleges that BYD sent a proposal to King in order to formalize the agreement, but did not receive a written response. However, King reportedly continued to inquire about the progress of the planning verbally. The complaint highlights that Miller brought in bankers from Africa and the U.S., and King was allegedly aware of the advancements made for the event. Instead of signing a formal agreement, Miller and King eventually decided to release a video on social media, where King could confirm his collaboration with Miller.
In January 2024, King and Miller later discussed Nigeria as a potential venue, coinciding with the country’s Global Entrepreneurship Festival. According to the complaint, Miller’s BYD and festival representatives reached an agreement to organize a series of five fights in front of an exclusive audience consisting of invited guests, world leaders, and heads of state and industry. However, in July, when BYD invited King to participate in a Zoom session to promote the event, King avoided all contact with Miller and BYD, ignoring their calls and emails from July to October.
According to Miller, he discovered that King may not have owned the rights to Rumble in the Jungle. Despite this, Miller continued to pursue the event, looking into licensing the name and seeking another title. He also started to recruit boxing champions to take part in Nigeria, along with a pay-per-view partner and potential sponsors. However, in October, King stated that he was unaware of Miller’s plans for the event and sent cease-and-desist letters to Nigerian officials. As a result, the fight never happened.
According to the complaint, the Ali versus Foreman fight generated a staggering $100 million in revenue at the time, and was viewed by over 1 billion people worldwide. Adjusted for inflation, this would be equivalent to $600 million today. The complaint not only seeks damages in this amount, but also demands an additional $2.4 billion in prospective damages, along with a formal written apology.
