Almanack: Boxing clever

LENNOX LEWIS has addressed the Oxford Union. Chris Eubank has expressed an interest in studying philosophy at Cambridge. Now, it seems, everybody in the fight game wants to get in on the academic act. But the latest would-be prof is a Don already: Don King, the wild-haired boxing impresario, who last week lectured students of the University of Virginia on his philosophy.

'The people around a star will drive you crazy, and they will drive you out of business,' King told the students. Then he drew a historical parallel: 'But it's not like Marie Antoinette said, 'Let them eat cake.' You got to give them some money.' King, who has been accused of putting more energy into promoting himself than his fighters will be appearing - for free - on seven US campuses this year. What did the students make of King's credo? 'It was mostly common-sense things we knew already,' Steve Berry, a graduate of the school, said. 'But it's always nice to hear from a star.'