Don King Still Selling With Halloween Promotion in Las Vegas

At age 78, boxing promoter Don King is still at it.

The man who brought the world "The Rumble In The Jungle" on Oct. 30, in 1974, featuring Muhammad Ali's dramatic, eighth-round knockout of George Foreman in Kinshasa, Zaire, will celebrate that event's 35th anniversary on Halloween with the first-ever, boxing event to be held at Las Vegas' Treasure Island.

That's when IBF bantamweight (118 pounds) titlist Joseph Agbeko (27-1, 22 knockouts) will put his crown on the line against Colombia native Yonnhy Perez (19-0, 14 KOs) of Santa Fe Springs, Calif., as part of an event to be televised on Showtime.

"This event at Treasure Island is going to be a great festival. I'm bringing the eighth wonder of the world to Las Vegas, King Kong," said King, referring to the nickname given Agbeko for his ferocity in the ring.

Also featured on the card at Treasure Island will be Antonio DeMarco (22-1-1, 16 KOs) of Tijuana, Mexico, against former WBA titlist Jose Alfaro (23-4, 20 KOs) of Nicaragua in a WBC light heavyweight (175) interim championship bout.

And in a heavyweight matchup, Cleveland's Ray Austin (27-4-4, 17 KOs) meets Denver's DaVarryl Williamson (26-5, 22 KOs).

In addition, unbeaten welterweights (147) James De La Rosa (19-0, 12 KOs) and Angelo Santana (6-0, four) of San Benito, Texas, and, Miami, respectively, will be featured in separate fights.

"October 31st will be a fright night here," said King, speaking from his room at Treasure Island on Tuesday. "I'm going to try to bring the high-rollers back in. I'm going to bring boxing back to the people."

A resident of the Bronx, Agbeko, 29, is a native of Accra, Ghana, also home of the former legendary featherweight (122) and superfeatherweight (126) Azumah Nelson.

The 5-foot-5 Agbeko is coming off of July's unanimous decision over favored Armenian-born Vic Darchinyan of Austrailia.

Agbeko is also one of King's two most promising prospects, each of whom is at opposite ends of the sport's weight spectrum.

At heavyweight, King boasts 310-pound WBA champion Nicolai Valuev (50-1, 34 KOs) of Saint Petersburg, who, despite being nicknamed "The Russian Giant," is somewhat "tender-hearted," according to King.

"Nicolai, the man, is a great human being. He's a sweetheart. A gentleman. A guy that would help an old woman across the street," said King. "He's got to be a little more aggressive. He needs more of a killer instinct -- and then, go ahead and hug the guy and apologize after you've got done whipping his butt."

Valuev has fought in America just three times, stopping Terrell Nelson in two rounds in Atlantic City in May of 1997, finishing George Lineberger in one round in Atlantic City in June of 2001, and knocking out Monte Barrett in the 11th round in October of 2007 in Rosemont, Ill.

King said he is looking to get Valuev past London's hard-punching David Haye (22-1, 21 KOs) on Nov. 7 before taking aim at either IBF and WBO king, Wladimir Klitschko (53-3, 47 KOs) or WBC titlist Vitali Klitschko (38-2, 37 KOs).

"Nicolai would be happy to fight the Klitschkos, but right now, he's got to try to get by David Haye. If he wins, we're coming to America. This time, I'm going to hold him here and really benefit from it," said King.

"We should stay focused and disciplined on that fight there, and I don't want to make any plans before that," said King. "But when that fight is done, I'm bringing Nicolai to America. I'm bringing him to the Treasure Island. We're going to really make this guy into something."