Daley, Don King promote champ boxing here
Former Mayor Richard J. Daley used to pummel a punching bag in his Bridgeport bungalow to let off steam and work up a sweat. Hizzoner would jokingly warn his eldest son that he would be on the other end of some of those punches if he didn't shape up.
Today, Richard M. Daley casually recalled that enduring memory of his powerful father as he stood with boxing promoter extraordinaire Don King and professional boxers Roy Jones Jr., Felix Trinidad and Juan Diaz to hype the upcoming World Boxing Championships.
"Their presence here.is important because it shows that they and the entire American boxing community support Chicago's efforts to bring the Olympics [here] in 2016. That's exactly the type of message we want to send to boxing fans all over the world," Daley told reporters outside a boxing ring at Davis Square Park, 4430 S. Marshfield.
King said the World Boxing Championships will "open the doors" of Chicago "to the world" just as the "Thrilla in Manila" did for the Philippines.
"Not only the shopping, the boutiques, the restaurants — everybody benefits when you bring in an event of this magnitude..But, the most important thing is the information that is received and delivered to others who wouldn't [otherwise] know how you do," King said.
Billed as the biggest global sporting extravaganza to hit Chicago since the 1994 World Cup, the Oct. 23-to-Nov. 3 event at the University of lllinois at Chicago Pavilion is expected to draw 700 boxers from 120 countries and a dozen voting members of the International Olympic Committee.
It's not only a chance for Chicago to woo IOC members at a time when USOC Chairman Peter Ueberroth has encouraged Chicago 2016 to do just that. It's an opportunity to showcase Chicago on the world stage in a positive way — and erase the ugly memory of Sunday's abbreviated, chaotic and water-short Chicago Marathon.
Daley acknowledged the obvious-that Chicago wants to fill the stands and put its best foot forward. But the mayor denied that his Olympic dreams are riding on how many tickets are sold and how smoothly the World Boxing Championships are run.
"I caution the media not to relate any sporting event to the Olympics. You're trying to relate everything to it. Pretty soon, you'll blame the Olympic movement for the Cubs losing, for the Sox losing," Daley said.
"I mean — you'll go to extremes just to get a headline. I know you need headlines. Your papers need help. I understand that. But, please..You have a responsibility..Connect your dots. That's all I ask you to do."
Bill Scherr, chairman of World Sport Chicago, said he would like to see Roy Jones Jr. in the ring with members of the press after what he's been reading over the last few days.
He was referring to criticism of Daley's world travels and claims that the marathon meltdown may have somehow hurt Chicago's chances.
"Check the average temperature and humidity of all of the marathons in the Olympics of the last four or five Olympics. It'll be very similar to the temperature of the one that was run here. These are elite athletes. The two events are totally different," Scherr said.