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Don King's Playboy presser!
July 21, 2005
By Mike Fitzgerald
Photos: Mike Fitzgerald
Promoter Don King stopped by Playboy International headquarters in the Windy City yesterday to hype his upcoming multi world title fight pay-per view extravaganza titled, "Global Glory: Battle for Pride and Country." The even will be held at Chicago’s United Center on Saturday, August 13th.
Waving flags from several nations, King announced his intentions to return Chicago to it’s big-fight glory days of the past. The main event will feature former WBC and IBF heavyweight champion Hasim Rahman battling Monte Barrett for the right to fight WBC champion Vitali Klitschko. Other world title bouts on the card will be; a super-welterweight clash between Ricardo Mayorga and Michelle Piccirillo for the vacant WBC crown, WBA Welterweight champion Luis Collazo defends against former world champion Miguel Angel Gonzalez, WBA Super-Welterweight Interim Champion, Alejandro “terra” Garcia risks his title against Italian champion Luca Messi, and WBC Continental Americas Super Welterweight champion Alex Bunema defends against Uganda Robert Kamya. In other bouts, heavyweights Sergei Liakhovich collides against Owen “what the Heck” Beck in a 12-round elimination contest, and Chicago native and former world heavyweight champion Oliver “the Atomic” Bull battles Cuban, Aurelio Perez in a 10-round heavyweight clash. Also, an added attraction will be “The Polish Fight of the Century” between Chicago transplant Andrew Golota and former European champion and native Polish star Przemyslaw “Chemek” Saleta.
The Press Conference got under way with King stating that, he loved Chicago and that Hugh Hefner was a good friend and that Playboy was the #1 men’s magazine in the world. King also thanked William Wirtz the president of the fight location’s United Center for all of assistance in getting the promotion together and for Wirtz’s nomination of King for the Amusement Business Hall of Fame. Wirtz the owner of the Chicago Blackhawks and former owner of the old Chicago Stadium was instrumental in many of Chicago’s mega-fights in years past.
Polish model and Saleta’s girlfriend, Kasia Kraszewska, was on hand to hype the Polish grudge match and sat by her boyfriend, Saleta throughout the press conference. Kraszewska, a covergirl for the March ’05 addition of Playboy in Poland was scheduled to have a photo shoot for the Playboy’s U.S. magazine’s version following the news conference. A large photo of Kasia’s Polish Playboy covershot was featured near the podium where Don King held court.
Golota arrived late for the press conference and wore sunglasses throughout the event. He spoke briefly at the podium stating, “I was to have fought Saleta five years ago in Poland. I hate him. He said a lot of bad things about me as a commentator for my fights on Polish TV.” King refused to allow Golota and Saleta to face each other in a stare-down pose for the media.
When Saleta spoke he said that he planned to be aggressive because he felt Golota may be susceptible early in the fight due to pressure of being the hometown favorite and because of his recent loss to Brewster.
Next up was former champion Ricardo Mayorga and trainer Joel Zudah. Mayorga said that he would win by knockout in the second round and that Piccirrillo must be crazy for fighting him. Mayorga hoped a victory would lead to a bout with Fernando Vargas who would be in action the following week in Chicago.
King stated that he planned to hold a title elimination to unify the heavyweight throne and that the winner of the Rahman-Barrett bout would be in line for a shot at WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko’s title. Rahman and Barrett were both absent from the press conference. King currently has contracts with current heavyweight champions, Chris Byrd, Lamon Brewster and John Ruiz as well as the winner of Rahman-Barrett who will challenge for the WBC title held by Klitschko. King said that he hoped to have further heavyweight title bouts contested in Chicago.
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