The Iowa Supreme Court has ruled on a case that involves flamboyant boxing promoter Don King and Iowa’s first lady. First Lady Mari Culver is an attorney who did legal work on the case for King and his company.
The case involves a boxer named Tye Fields who was born in Montana but considers Des Moines his hometown. He played college basketball at San Diego State before becoming a professional boxer. At six feet, eight inches and 275 pounds, Field boxes as a heavyweight.
Thirty-seven of his 41 victories have been knock outs. He’s only lost two bouts. Field signed a five-year agreement to have a Des Moines-based firm promote, stage and sell tickets to his fights. Just before the end of that contract, Fields signed a deal with Don King to fight a bout in St. Louis.
The Iowa firm sued, but the Iowa Supreme Court now has upheld a district court judge’s ruling that tossed out the case. The justices say Iowa courts do not have jurisdiction over Don King, as the contract in question wasn’t signed in Iowa. The legal dispute isn’t over, as the Iowa firm filed a lawsuit against King in federal court this August.