Unreal Deal: Florida Boxing Commission Suspends Holyfield 30 Days, and It Isn’t Funny
By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent
*Photo Credit: Robert Brizel, Real Combat Media
Hollywood, FL (September 17th, 2021)– As of September 16, 2021, the Florida State Boxing Commission has medically suspended Evander Holyfield for 30 days, after Vitor Belfort dropped and stopped him in the first round of a sanctioned Florida exhibition massacre last week at Seminole Hard Rock Casino in Hollywood, Florida.
Whether it was against Oscar De La Hoya in Los Angeles, California, or against Evander Holyfield in Hollywood, Florida, the fact remains former UFC MMA Heavyweight champion Vitor Belfort was prepared to do battle in either an exhibition or a real bout. De La Hoya, who contracted COVID-19, pulled out of the scheduled exhibition. Holyfield, then filled in on two weeks of notice. Neither was prepared to do battle, reputation selling pay-per-views for a paycheck instead.
Holyfield, age 58, former world cruiserweight and heavyweight world champion, provided an “unreal deal” for those paying to watch the Seminole Hard Rock pay-per-view show featuring Holyfield, Belfort, Tito Ortiz and David Haye. Holyfield, once a dedicated athlete ten years removed from his last motivated fighting days, didn’t even have a chance.
When once graceful athletes attempt comebacks out of shape and long removed from their glory days as a shadow of their former selves, tragedy can occur. In the case of Holyfield, it is lucky tragedy did not occur. Contrary to Holyfield’s view, it is NOT what it is, it was Holyfield’s lack of preparation and seriousness which defined what it was and what occurred. A former UFC World Heavyweight champion visiting the boxing ring is not a social call. It was a sad end to a once dedicated athlete.
Iron Mike Tyson took an early exit at the end of his career against Lennox Lewis, Danny Williams, and Kevin McBride, and when he came back, could not beat Roy Jones Jr. in an exhibition. Perhaps Holyfield should have taken a hint instead of a paycheck. One can only imagine what would have happened if a lower-weight fighter like De La Hoya stepped into the ring with Belfort. If Holyfield’s bout was a massacre, De La Hoya’s reappearance would have looked more like an execution. In the process, Holyfield blew a third rematch exhibition multimillion-dollar pay-per-view payday with Tyson with the stoppage loss.
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