Holyfield

Evander Holyfield, The Hardest Working Heavyweight Champion Ever

By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent

 *Photo Credit: Robert Brizel, Real Combat Media

When one looks at the all-time heavyweight champions list, one finds such familiar names as Rocky Marciano, Muhammad Ali, Joe Louis, George Foreman, Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko, Lennox Lewis, Ezzard Charles, Sam Langford, Larry Holmes, Gene Tunney, Jack Johnson, Floyd Patterson, Harry Wills, Joe Frazier, Max Baer, Jack Dempsey, Jack Sharkey, Ingemar Johansson, Sonny Liston, Mike Tyson, and Jersey Joe Walcott.

 

Typically Evander Holyfield is an underrated all-time heavyweight. Holyfield joins John L. Sullivan, James Braddock, Bob Fitzsimmons, James Jeffries, Michael Spinks, Riddick Bowe, Michael Dokes, Mike Weaver, Michael Moorer, Tommy Morrison and Gerrie Coetzee in the underrated category of heavyweights.

 

At the short height of 6’2 ½”, Holyfield was a phenomenal inside fighter, and even appeared to outpoint the 7’0” Nicolai Valuev.  His physical condition and hard work ethic made him a feared world heavy weight champion. Evander was a colorful heavyweight champion, though not necessarily the most prominent one.

 

In addition to his consistent offensive work, Evander had a solid defense. Evander could probably give Deontay Wilder and Wladimir Klitschko a run for their money even now. Holyfield is always rumored to be coming back, more likely if the price is right. His last bout was a win at age 48 in 2011.

 

Evander certainly is a far better boxer than most give him credit for. His reflexes slowed as he got older, leaving him unable to beat the same world class caliber of fighters he had beaten before. He can still beat four out of five heavy weights out there.

 

Strangely, Evander remains best remembered for his second bout with Mike Tyson, which he won by disqualification when Tyson ate part of his right ear and got disqualified in the third round. At that moment, the sport of boxing descended into madness, and had no rational explanation for being. Boxing survived its darkest hour.  Holyfield did win a rematch with Michael Moorer, but overall he won only four of his next eleven bouts, and he was never quite the same fighter. Some fighters enter the ring with their dream to beat the heavyweight champion. Mike Tyson entered the ring to eat the heavyweight champion, not the same dream. Retired referee Mills Lane remains paralyzed since 2002 from a stroke.

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