Cedric Kushner, Top Boxing Promoter for 15 Years, Dies of Heart Attack at 66
By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent
New York, NY (February 2, 2015)– Boxing promoter Cedric Kushner, who ruled the boxing world as a top promoter of the sport in the 1990s and 2000s but suffered from poor health in recent years, has died of a heart attack in New York City at the age of 66. Kushner, who had a heavy frame, later underwent gastric bypass surgery. Parkinson’s disease forced Kushner into an assisted living facility, as his empire crumbled and he succumbed to the gradual effects of his debilitating illness.
Speaking to the audience at his most recent boxing card in Manhattan from within the ring this week at BB King Blues Club & Grill the day he learned of Kushner’s death, boxing promoter Lou DiBella remembered riding in a limousine with Kushner to Atlantic City during Kushner’s heyday on top. “Cedric came to America from Poland with four dollars in his pocket. He shined shoes, and cleaned the swimming pool at The Fountain bleau Hotel. He started promoting the music group Fleetwood Mac, then went into boxing promotion, made millions, but later lost all his money (due to bad business decisions),” stated Dibella,with moving tears of admiration for the man who paved the way for the wave of boxing promoter wannabes who followed him.
A onetime Merchant Seaman and Ferris wheel operator with an understanding of carnival style promotions, Kushner, with his memorable carnival style huge walrus moustache, not only promoted Fleetwood Mac, he promoted Steppenwolf, Queen, The Rolling Stones, and The Grateful Dead. He was best known for riding around in his bright red limousine, and promoting cards on Homer Box Office featuring the likes of sugar Shane Mosley, Virgil Hill, Angel Manfredy, Ike Ibeabuchi, Hasim Rahman, Chris Byrd and others.
A true gentleman, Kushner however failed to compete with rival promoters like Don King when it came to signing fighters and keeping them. Losing Mosley and Rahman started a downhill slide for Kushner, whose Cedric Kushner Promotions eventually went bankrupt.
In 2000, Kushner was fined after admitting in Federal court he paid bribes to get his South African fighters ranked to the International Boxing Federation, and also a $100,000 bribe for the IBF to order a rematch between George Foreman and his fighter Axel Schultz. Kushner’s promotional career, forever tainted, went into a downward tailspin at that point and his reputation and financial situation never recovered. He attempted a comeback with a new organization, Gotham Boxing, and heavyweight David Tua, but the new venture did not last. Kushner will be cremated. A memorial service is planned.
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