Updated: Mon, Sep 03 1:51 PM EDT
By Bill Barclay
LONDON (Reuters) - The King of Boxing addressed his loyal subjects at a nightclub in Leicester Square Monday -- and it wasn't Hasim Rahman.
The world heavyweight champion arrived in London dressed in a terra cotta robe with a gold, bejeweled crown on his head and a scepter in his hand.
Former champion Lennox Lewis looked imperious, too, in his smart chalked-squared charcoal suit and gold tie.
Accompanied by three females dressed as beefeaters -- the yeoman warders who patrol the Tower of London in their red and black uniforms -- the Briton took his seat first on the stage that had been placed on the nightclub's dance floor.
But the promotional event for the Rahman-Lewis rematch in November in Las Vegas was dominated by one man -- promoter Don King.
The one-man media circus, a dazzling crucifix around his neck and electrified hair almost brushing the rafters, strode triumphantly on to the stage, one hour and 15 minutes late. He was followed by a trio of pom-pom-wielding cheerleaders and a rather coy-looking Rahman, clutching his wooden scepter.
As the photographers' flashbulbs glittered King seized Rahman's left hand and shrieked: "This is the hand that changed the world."
Never mind that Rahman had in fact knocked Lewis out in their first fight in April with a stunning right.
"Long live the King!" shouted King, and, in case anyone should have doubted who he was talking about, added quickly: "The king of boxing-dom."
KING ARTHUR
The first public meeting of Lewis and Rahman featured no repeat of the impromptu wrestling match they conducted on the floor of a U.S. talk show studio last Thursday.
But if the assembled media were disappointed about that, King was delighted to have the opportunity to give his view of the fight he has dubbed 'Judgement Day'.
"It will be a glorious fight, a spectacular performance and the excitement will bring to the fore what (Greek poet) Homer said in 700 BC," he gushed.
"'There cannot be a multitude of rulers. There can be but one ruler.' One king. And that king will be the one who will be reigning over the WBC kingdom the IBF kingdom and the Marquess of Queensbury linear line kingdom.
"We're here today to let you share with us, and you being the judge to discuss and debate to have conversations in all the pubs, the society teas and cocktails as to who that king will be on November 17 at the Mandalay Bay where the flying fishes flay," he added, the words spewing from his mouth in no particular order.
There was more, with references to Winston Churchill, the legend of King Arthur and Excalibur, and somewhere in the mind of the great impresario it doubtless made perfect sense.
EXTRAORDINARY SCENES
But what the waiting media really wanted to know was whether last Thursday's extraordinary scenes were set up deliberately to help pre-bout ticket sales.
King, who later admitted he hadn't tied up a deal for the fight's British television rights, didn't wait to be asked.
He launched straight into his view of what had happened, scaling new heights in hyperbole.
"There's always a risk that any press tour can easily deteriorate into a personal contest," King explained.
"If this is done safely you gain public opinion and public opinion gives an opportunity to establish public confidence.
"That has been done on this press tour. Not staged or organized as many would have liked it to have been.
"It happened. Thank God for their safety. No one is hurt. And now the world knows about the Lennox Lewis and Hasim rematch. It's everywhere.
"It's bigger than life itself."