"In 1954 he popped a fellow hood during an attempted robbery of one of King's gambling dens; it was ruled justifiable homicide. Then in 1966 he pistol-whipped and stomped a loan shark to death; after a discussion between his lawyer and the judge, charges were reduced to manslaughter.

"'He's f---ed up people's lives; he f---ed up the sport,' says Bert Sugar. 'He's the prototypical hustler. After you shake hands with him, you count your rings, and then you count your fingers.'

"George Foreman calls him the Saddam Hussein of boxing. Mike Tyson, who claims King stole $45 million from him, is suing him for fraud. The Justice Department is also investigating the controversial draw last year between Evander Holyfield and Lennox Lewis, although to this point King has been as much of a Teflon Don as Michael Corleone.