CLEVELAND, Ohio - Cleveland City Council is expected next week to repeal legislation designating a portion of Shaker Boulevard as "Don King Way" and give the honorary name instead to a stretch of Cedar Avenue - where the legendary boxing promoter once stomped a man to death for failing to pay a $600 gambling debt.

The honorary street name initially was bestowed in April upon a quarter-mile section of Shaker Boulevard between East 116th and East 121st streets. The road is home to the Call & Post newspaper, which King saved from bankruptcy and has owned since 1998.

The newspaper published an editorial at the time, expressing pride that the street would bear King's name. And several people interviewed by cleveland.com in the immediate neighborhood echoed that sentiment and noted that King is among the most influential Clevelanders ever to make it big.

But in August, councilwomen Mamie Mitchell and Phyllis Cleveland inexplicably introduced legislation moving Don King Way to Cedar Avenue, between East 36th Street and Stokes Boulevard.

Cleveland City Councilwoman Phyllis Cleveland

Cleveland City Councilwoman Mamie MItchell

King, once known as "The Kid," became infamous on that street during the 1960s for his illegal bookmaking operation. And in 1966, King stomped an employee, Sam Garrett, to death outside the now-defunct Manhattan Tap Room at East 100th Street and Cedar Avenue. (See the historical newspaper clippings in the gallery above.)

The intersection is now home to a Cleveland Clinic facility and other medical technology companies.

Journalist Jack Newfield -- in his 1995 unauthorized biography, The Life and Crimes of Don King: The shame of boxing in America -- described King's beating of Garrett like this:

King kept stomping the smaller man. Most people would have stopped by now. Most people would have felt satisfaction, or remorse, or some cathartic release by now. But not King. Some bully demon deep inside him kept the violence going beyond reason.



King spent nearly four years in prison and was pardoned for the crime in 1984 by then-Ohio Governor Jim Rhodes.

During a Council Finance Committee meeting Monday, members discussed amending the parameters of the honorary road to span Cedar from East 71st and Stokes, rather than East 36th and Stokes.

Either stretch encompasses the scene of Garrett's slaying.

But no one addressed that fact or even explained the reasoning for moving the honorary street from Shaker Boulevard.

Council postponed passage of the ordinance another week to iron out the details.

Neither Mitchell nor Cleveland could be reached for comment.

Council President Kevin Kelley said he didn't know why they were seeking the change, but he expressed his belief that council is probably handing out too many honorary street names in general.