Despite facing a federal trial in May on charges of mail fraud, promoter Don King has scheduled 10 championship matches in the next 10 weeks, including a tentative April 29 date at USAir Arena featuring Baltimore's Vincent Pettway defending his International Boxing Federation junior middleweight crown against Simon Brown of Mount Airy, Md.
Representatives of King and USAir Arena are trying to finalize terms. The two fighters have already signed contracts for the bout, but no date or site has been specified.
In the meantime, King has booked title bouts across the country and in England involving almost all the fighters with whom he has promotional ties.
According to a King associate, the promoter is trying to complete most of his boxing business before meeting with his defensive attorneys prior to the start of his trial. Plans were also being made at his headquarters in Florida on how to conduct business in his absence once his trial starts.
King's busy fight schedule will begin with a dual-championship card in London on Feb. 25, with Nigel Benn slated to defend his World Boxing Council super middleweight title against current middleweight king Gerald McClellan, and Mike McCallum set to put his WBC light heavyweight crown on the line against Carl Jones.
On March 11 in Atlantic City, WBC super bantamweight champion Hector Acthreero-Sanchez will meet Julio Gervacio. On March 17 in Boston, WBA junior heavyweight champion Orlin Norris will defend against Sergei Kobozev of Russia, and Julian Jackson and Agostino Cardamone will meet for the vacant WBC middleweight title. Heavyweight Peter McNeeley will also be featured on this St. Patrick's Day card.
On the following day, unbeaten WBC super middleweight champion Roy Jones will fight Antoine Byrd in Jones' hometown of Pensacola, Fla.
On April 8, WBC heavyweight champion Oliver McCall will make his first title defense, meeting former champion Larry Holmes at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. The undercard will include two championship bouts: IBF welterweight champion Felix Trinidad will defend his title against Roger Turner, and Luis Santana and Terry Norris will meet in a rematch for the WBC super welterweight crown. Santana gained the title on a foul.