He briefly mentored Don King and promoted fighters both well-known (like Muhammad Ali and Sugar Ray Robinson) and obscure.

Don King wears a shirt promoting the Rumble in the Jungle at the InterContinental Hotel on Oct. 28, 1974, before the heavyweight title fight between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman in Kinshasa, Zaire.

As the COVID-19 vaccination shot pierced his upper arm earlier this month, Don King breathed in what felt like a new lease on life, another boost to carry on with his life’s work. At 89, the ...