Evander Holyfield. Really Cool
On October 19, one of the best heavyweights on the planet, American Evander Holyfield, celebrates his 53rd birthday.
On October 19, one of the best boxers peace to the American Evander Holyfield, who rightfully bears the title of Really Cool. Holyfield is a great champion, but he cannot be considered one of the strongest heavyweights. As a champion, Holyfield should be rated on the level of Larry Holmes, he should be ranked above Mike Tyson and Lennox Lewis. That's exactly how I assessed it sporting achievements Holyfield statistical site boxrec.com at a time when Evander was temporarily considered a retired boxer. Until recently, when Holyfield began to claim the championship belt for the nth time, he was confidently in the top ten of the boxrec.com ranking of all time, in which, in fairness, half of the list was artificially edited in favor of the “ancient mammoths.”
Unlike Sam Langford, who was never a full-fledged champion (not counting the fake title in 1913) and whose achievements experts often rate higher than Holyfield's, Evander is the only one in history professional boxing four-time champion world heavyweight champion. Moreover, he is one of the few modern history boxing absolute champion in two weight categories, who has collected all the belts one at a time at least once. Holyfield was the world champion in at least one version in each year for 16 years from 1986 to 2001, with the exception of two years - 1989 and 1995. Neither Louis, nor Ali, nor Holmes, nor Tyson, nor Lewis had such a long championship. , nobody. In 1989, Evander was not a champion only because he moved from the cruiserweight division, where he collected all the belts, to the heavyweight division, in which all the belts also belonged to one person and for which a long line of contenders stretched out. In 1995, Holyfield was unable to compete for the champion title because, for the first time in his career, he missed 13 months due to an incorrect diagnosis of heart disease, and when he returned, all the belts scattered to separate “apartments”, and their new owners were eager to meet with Tyson returning from prison.
For the second time, after standing in line for a year waiting to meet Tyson, Holyfield finally got his long-awaited match with him and defeated him. It can be assumed that if Tyson had not existed at all, Holyfield could have been the champion without any pauses - from 1986 to 2001. However, this is a misconception, because Tyson has been Holyfield's biggest irritant since 1984, and perhaps even earlier. Despite the fact that Holyfield was always slightly ahead of Tyson in terms of achievements, since 1984 Evander has always been in the shadow of Iron Mike, for whom only fools predicted great career on professional ring.
Holyfield became vice-champion of the Pan American Games in 1981, when Tyson made his debut as an amateur. In 1984, they often crossed paths at the Olympic training camp, preparing for the selection for Los Angeles. Holyfield performed in the light heavyweight category, and Tyson, although he was almost four years younger and much shorter, was in the first heavyweight division. Eyewitnesses say that of all the members of the US team, 17-18-year-old Tyson, who showed the manners of a godfather, was the only one who was not afraid of Evander. Jim Thomas writes that at the training facility in Gonzales, Texas, Olympians liked to practice pool and the loser would go to the back of the line. Tyson started playing as soon as he entered the hall. One day he walked in just before Holyfield's turn, walked up to the table and took the cue ball. Evander turned the cue over with the blunt side up and walked towards the table. The guys looked closely at each other, and Tyson decided to go home. 
Evander Holyfield
Tyson failed to qualify for the Olympics, but Holyfield did. In the semi-final match of the Olympic tournament, he was disqualified for striking after the referee's command to stop. His opponent, who missed a blow to the jaw, ended up with a heavy knockdown and was unable to continue the fight. Nevertheless, in defiance Olympic rules, as a disqualified participant in the Games, Evander was awarded bronze medal. A couple of months later, Holyfield made his debut in the professional ring, and at first it seemed that he was not thinking about fighting Tyson, since he spent his debut fights in the light heavyweight category. Mike started his professional career four months later, and during this period the difference at the weigh-in of our heroes reached 20 kg.
Only a madman in 1985 could have imagined that the time would come when Holyfield would not only face Iron Mike, but defeat him. Already in his 12th appearance in the ring, Evander won his first championship title, defeating the very strong Dwight Qawi in an exciting 15-round fight. Holyfield showed phenomenal performance, throwing over a thousand punches during the fight. Within two years, having collected all the championship regalia, Really Cool moved to the heavyweight division shortly before Iron Mike won perhaps the most stunning victory in his brilliant career– having destroyed the invincible Michael Spinks in a minute and a half.
This did not frighten Holyfield at all, and next year he becomes a mandatory challenger for Tyson. They could have met at the end of 1989, but Mike was injured and began to look for a simpler opponent. His fight with Holyfield was postponed to the summer of 1990 with a warning that if Tyson did not fight Evander, he would lose one of the three belts - the WBA. To avoid downtime, Tyson and Holyfield decided to have a warm-up fight. At the last moment, Tyson refused to meet with Donovan Ruddock and opted for James Douglas, who was then considered unstriking and generally harmless, who had a couple of humiliating defeats from minor fighters.
Holyfield accepted the challenge of an unbeaten prospect who won all his victories by knockout. In the end, they both almost lost. More precisely, Tyson lost, and Evander in his November match had a difficult fight with a successful outcome, thanks to a cut in the opponent’s face. Having lost Tyson, Holyfield confidently defeated his winner, knocking him out in the third round. He then waited patiently for Mike to regain his right to championship fight. And he didn’t wait. The next date of their fight (November 8, 1991) fell through due to the fact that Tyson injured a rib during training. Then Tyson was sent to prison for three years, during which time Holyfield managed to regain the title of champion once and lose it twice.
They finally faced each other in the same ring on November 9, 1996, seven years later than they could have done so. Holyfield and Tyson have changed a lot both as boxers and in appearance. Holyfield was already 34 years old and was considered a veteran, an emerging champion. Evander even changed his nickname - now his name was Warrior. The year before, he suffered his first defeat by knockout, and in last match looked unimportant against the former middleweight (by the way, Lennox Lewis acted as a warm-up). Bets against Evander reached 1 in 25, one expert out of 50 interviewed believed in his victory. And Holyfield defeated Tyson, and a year later in a rematch forced him to unsportsmanlike conduct and disqualification. It was after this two-part series that Evander Holyfield gained real recognition as an outstanding boxer and emerged from Tyson’s shadow. Moreover, many, including Don King, believed that Holyfield could replace Tyson as a superstar. However, the promoter made a mistake and repeatedly found himself in the red, paying Evander fantastic fees.
Because Tyson bit off part of Holyfield's ear, he was disqualified and excommunicated from boxing. Mike then returned under the banner of a third match with Warrior. It turned out that the public still loves Tyson more than anyone, since even in non-championship fights he had an audience and fees comparable to what Holyfield had as a champion. In anticipation of the next confrontation with Tyson, Evander carried out several mandatory defenses. Since his style, due to age and long-term bodybuilding, had finally changed towards a counter-puncher (and it’s good to be one, having an advantage in linear dimensions), Holyfield did not feel the slightest desire to meet with Lennox Lewis, who was not only significantly taller and more powerful him, but also three years younger. Holyfield accepted the challenge of the British Leo, although he had not met such a big boxer for longer three years and, consequently, lost many of the skills important for such a confrontation. Moreover, that last time Holyfield was mercilessly beaten by the giant and knocked out.
Holyfield held up so well against a more powerful and younger opponent that one judge (a woman) awarded him a victory, and another determined a draw. A scandal arose as a computer calculation showed that Lewis had a similar advantage over Holyfield, with whom Riddick Bowe defeated him in the first meeting. In the same 1999, Holyfield came out against Lewis for the second time, and this time Lennox won in a more equal fight. Like Bowe, Lewis, being the winner of Holyfield, inherited the duty of defense from him and, evading it, was soon deprived of one of the belts. 
Evander Holyfield and Nikolai Valuev
Once again, the judges were unanimous in favor of Holyfield. This is probably that rare case in the practice of heavyweight championship fights when a boxer who actually lost with a score of 112-116 received a unanimous victory on points. It was thanks to this judicial quirk that Holyfield became world champion for the fourth time shortly before his 38th birthday. Chuck Giampa, who never suffered from an excess of sympathy for Holyfield, was urgently called up for the rematch. He judged Holyfield's fights 9 times and only three times determined Evander the winner. But Holyfield truly won the third match with John Ruiz, but this time, probably the only time in his career, Holyfield was offended and deprived of his victory. Since then, Evander has twice tried to regain his championship title and twice suffered humiliating defeats from fighters who were 8 and 12 years younger than him. And all these years, talk about the third Holyfield-Tyson match has not stopped. Even this year, Holyfield and Tyson spoke contradictorily about the possibility of holding this fight (either saying “yes” or “no”), which could put an end to the careers of these outstanding athletes.
In terms of class, capabilities, and statistics, Holyfield is head and shoulders weaker than Lewis, Tyson and Bowe, despite the fact that he has a draw with the first and defeated the other two. The strongest representatives of the division are distinguished from the simply strong by three things. Firstly, the presence of many victorious battles carried out in periods shorter than 90 days after the previous one, and the shorter these periods are, the more steeply this achievement should be assessed. Secondly, as a consequence of the first, the presence of such champion defenses, fights on top level. And we see that Holyfield in his entire heavyweight career only once entered the ring before the 90th day after the previous fight - and then at the end of his career - against Fres Oquendo. In total, he fought only three fights with an interval of less than 105 days (also against Tillis and Dokes). This suggests that Evander did not have that sense of power and superiority over the entire division, which often turned the heads of Ali, Holmes, Tyson and Lewis, who could go against a very strong opponent even on the 60th day after the previous fight.
Thirdly, assessment of the strongest rivals in the form of your attitude towards confrontation with them. If we take Tyson as an expert, then he considered Holmes his strongest opponent, and Holyfield one of the mediocre ones, which was clearly reflected in both the timing of Mike’s preparation for the fight and the weight he showed at the weigh-in. It is difficult to give examples when one of the great boxers prepared more carefully for a meeting with Holyfield than for another opponent in a close time interval. Well, perhaps in repeated fights after a draw or defeat, which is generally typical for any rematch.
In December 2008, Holyfield fought against Russian Nikolai Valuev, losing by decision. The oldest contender for the world title put up a worthy fight against his younger opponent. The fight lasted all 12 rounds, at the end of which the victory was awarded to Valuev (116:112, 115:114, 114:114). Many disagreed with this decision, arguing that Evander was boxing for at least a draw. The result of the fight was not reviewed, and the hype slowly faded away. After that, Holyfield entered the ring three more times. Mine last Stand Evander spent May 7 in Copenhagen (Denmark), where he met with local fighter Brian Nielsen (64-3-0, 43 KOs). The fight, scheduled for 12 rounds, ended early. In the 10th round, the referee stopped the fight and recorded Holyfield's victory by technical knockout.
Lennox Lewis
Mike Tyson
Nikolay Valuev
Evander Holyfield
On October 19, one of the best American boxers in the world turned 53 years old. Evander Holyfield, who rightfully bears the title of Really Cool. Holyfield is a great champion, but he cannot be considered one of the strongest heavyweights. As a champion, Holyfield should be rated on the level of Larry Holmes, he should be ranked above Mike Tyson and Lennox Lewis. This is exactly how the statistical site boxrec.com assessed Holyfield’s sporting achievements at a time when Evander was temporarily considered a retired boxer. Until recently, when Holyfield began to claim the championship belt for the nth time, he was confidently in the top ten of the boxrec.com ranking of all time, in which, in fairness, half of the list was artificially edited in favor of the “ancient mammoths.”
Help from the Championship
(44-10-2, 29 KOs).
Achievements: Silver medalist 1981 Pan American Games. Bronze medalist Olympic Games 1984 light heavyweight. World champion in 1st heavyweight (WBA version, 1986-1988; IBF version, 1987-1988; WBC version, 1988) and heavyweight (WBC version, 1990-1992; WBA version, 1990-1992, 199-1994, 1996- 1999 and 2000-2001; IBF version, 1990-1992, 1993-1994 and 1997-1999) weight categories.
Unlike Sam Langford, who was never a full-fledged champion (not counting a fake title in 1913) and whose achievements are often rated higher by experts than Holyfield's, Evander is the only four-time world heavyweight champion in the history of professional boxing. Moreover, he is one of the few absolute champions in two weight categories in modern boxing history, who has collected all the belts in succession at least once. Holyfield was the world champion in at least one version in each year for 16 years from 1986 to 2001, with the exception of two years - 1989 and 1995. Neither Louis, nor Ali, nor Holmes, nor Tyson, nor Lewis had such a long championship. , nobody. In 1989, Evander was not a champion only because he moved from the cruiserweight division, where he collected all the belts, to the heavyweight division, in which all the belts also belonged to one person and for which a long line of contenders stretched out. In 1995, Holyfield was unable to compete for the champion title because, for the first time in his career, he missed 13 months due to an incorrect diagnosis of heart disease, and when he returned, all the belts scattered to separate “apartments”, and their new owners were eager to meet with Tyson returning from prison.
For the second time, after standing in line for a year waiting to meet Tyson, Holyfield finally got his long-awaited match with him and defeated him. It can be assumed that if Tyson had not existed at all, Holyfield could have been the champion without any pauses - from 1986 to 2001. However, this is a misconception, because Tyson has been Holyfield's biggest irritant since 1984, and perhaps even earlier. Despite the fact that Holyfield was always slightly ahead of Tyson in terms of achievements, since 1984 Evander has always been in the shadow of Iron Mike, for whom only fools did not predict a great career in the professional ring.
Holyfield became vice-champion of the Pan American Games in 1981, when Tyson made his debut as an amateur. In 1984, they often crossed paths at the Olympic training camp, preparing for the selection for Los Angeles. Holyfield performed in the light heavyweight category, and Tyson, although he was almost four years younger and much shorter, was in the first heavyweight division. Eyewitnesses say that of all the members of the US team, 17-18-year-old Tyson, who showed the manners of a godfather, was the only one who was not afraid of Evander. Jim Thomas writes that at the training facility in Gonzales, Texas, Olympians liked to practice pool and the loser would go to the back of the line. Tyson started playing as soon as he entered the hall. One day he walked in just before Holyfield's turn, walked up to the table and took the cue ball. Evander turned the cue over with the blunt side up and walked towards the table. The guys looked closely at each other, and Tyson decided to go home.
Tyson failed to qualify for the Olympics, but Holyfield did. In the semi-final match of the Olympic tournament, he was disqualified for striking after the referee's command to stop. His opponent, who missed a blow to the jaw, ended up with a heavy knockdown and was unable to continue the fight. However, in defiance of the Olympic rules, as a disqualified participant in the Games, Evander was awarded a bronze medal. A couple of months later, Holyfield made his debut in the professional ring, and at first it seemed that he was not thinking about fighting Tyson, since he spent his debut fights in the light heavyweight category. Mike began his professional career four months later, and during this period the difference at the weigh-in of our heroes reached 20 kg.
Only a madman in 1985 could have imagined that the time would come when Holyfield would not only face Iron Mike, but defeat him. Already in his 12th appearance in the ring, Evander won his first championship title, defeating the very strong Dwight Qawi in an exciting 15-round fight. Holyfield showed phenomenal performance, throwing over a thousand punches during the fight. Within two years, having collected all the champion's regalia, Really Cool moved to the heavyweight division shortly before Iron Mike won perhaps the most stunning victory in his brilliant career - destroying the invincible Michael Spinks in one and a half minutes.
This did not frighten Holyfield at all, and next year he becomes a mandatory challenger for Tyson. They could have met at the end of 1989, but Mike was injured and began to look for a simpler opponent. His fight with Holyfield was postponed to the summer of 1990 with a warning that if Tyson did not fight Evander, he would lose one of the three belts - the WBA. To avoid downtime, Tyson and Holyfield decided to have a warm-up fight. At the last moment, Tyson refused to meet with Donovan Ruddock and opted for James Douglas, who was then considered unstriking and generally harmless, who had a couple of humiliating defeats from minor fighters.
Holyfield accepted the challenge of an unbeaten prospect who won all his victories by knockout. In the end, they both almost lost. More precisely, Tyson lost, and Evander in his November match had a difficult fight with a successful outcome, thanks to a cut in the opponent’s face. Having lost Tyson, Holyfield confidently defeated his winner, knocking him out in the third round. He then waited patiently for Mike to regain his title shot. And he didn’t wait. The next date of their fight (November 8, 1991) fell through due to the fact that Tyson injured a rib during training. Then Tyson was sent to prison for three years, during which time Holyfield managed to regain the title of champion once and lose it twice.
They finally faced each other in the same ring on November 9, 1996, seven years later than they could have done so. Holyfield and Tyson have changed a lot both as boxers and in appearance. Holyfield was already 34 years old and was considered a veteran, an emerging champion. Evander even changed his nickname - now his name was Warrior. A year before that, he suffered his first defeat by knockout, and in the last match he looked unimportant against the former middleweight (by the way, he performed as a warm-up). Bets against Evander reached 1 in 25, one expert out of 50 interviewed believed in his victory. And Holyfield defeated Tyson, and a year later in a rematch forced him to unsportsmanlike conduct and disqualification. It was after this two-part series that he received real recognition as an outstanding boxer and emerged from Tyson’s shadow. Moreover, many, including Don King, believed that Holyfield could replace Tyson as a superstar. However, the promoter made a mistake and repeatedly found himself in the red, paying Evander fantastic fees.
Because Tyson bit off part of Holyfield's ear, he was disqualified and excommunicated from boxing. Mike then returned under the banner of a third match with Warrior. It turned out that the public still loves Tyson more than anyone, since even in non-championship fights he had an audience and fees comparable to what Holyfield had as a champion. In anticipation of the next confrontation with Tyson, Evander carried out several mandatory defenses. Since his style, due to age and long-term bodybuilding, had finally changed towards a counter-puncher (and it’s good to be one, having an advantage in linear dimensions), Holyfield did not feel the slightest desire to meet with Lennox Lewis, who was not only significantly taller and more powerful him, but also three years younger. Holyfield accepted the challenge of the British Leo, although he had not faced such a big boxer for more than three years and, therefore, had lost many of the skills important for such a confrontation. Moreover, that last time Holyfield was mercilessly beaten by a giant and knocked out.
Holyfield held up so well against a more powerful and younger opponent that one judge (a woman) awarded him a victory, and another determined a draw. A scandal arose as a computer calculation showed that Lewis had a similar advantage over Holyfield, with whom Riddick Bowe defeated him in the first meeting. In the same 1999, Holyfield came out against Lewis for the second time, and this time Lennox won in a more equal fight. Like Bowe, Lewis, being the winner of Holyfield, inherited the duty of defense from him and, evading it, was soon deprived of one of the belts.
Once again, the judges were unanimous in favor of Holyfield. This is probably that rare case in the practice of heavyweight championship fights when a boxer who actually lost with a score of 112-116 received a unanimous victory on points. It was thanks to this judicial quirk that Holyfield became world champion for the fourth time shortly before his 38th birthday. Chuck Giampa, who never suffered from an excess of sympathy for Holyfield, was urgently called up for the rematch. He judged Holyfield's fights 9 times and only three times determined Evander the winner. But Holyfield truly won the third match with John Ruiz, but this time, probably the only time in his career, Holyfield was offended and deprived of his victory. Since then, Evander has twice tried to regain his championship title and twice suffered humiliating defeats from fighters who were 8 and 12 years younger than him. And all these years, talk about the third Holyfield-Tyson match has not stopped. Even this year, Holyfield and Tyson spoke contradictorily about the possibility of holding this fight (either saying “yes” or “no”), which could put an end to the careers of these outstanding athletes.
In terms of class, capabilities, and statistics, Holyfield is head and shoulders weaker than Lewis, Tyson and Bowe, despite the fact that he has a draw with the first and defeated the other two. The strongest representatives of the division are distinguished from the simply strong by three things. Firstly, the presence of many victorious battles carried out in periods shorter than 90 days after the previous one, and the shorter these periods are, the more steeply this achievement should be assessed. Secondly, as a consequence of the first, the presence of such champion defenses, fights at the highest level. And we see that Holyfield in his entire heavyweight career only once entered the ring before the 90th day after the previous fight - and then at the end of his career - against Fres Oquendo. In total, he fought only three fights with an interval of less than 105 days (also against Tillis and Dokes). This suggests that Evander did not have that sense of power and superiority over the entire division, which often turned the heads of Ali, Holmes, Tyson and Lewis, who could go against a very strong opponent even on the 60th day after the previous fight.
Thirdly, assessment of the strongest rivals in the form of your attitude towards confrontation with them. If we take Tyson as an expert, then he considered Holmes his strongest opponent, and Holyfield one of the mediocre ones, which was clearly reflected in both the timing of Mike’s preparation for the fight and the weight he showed at the weigh-in. It is difficult to give examples when one of the great boxers prepared more carefully for a meeting with Holyfield than for another opponent in a close time interval. Well, perhaps in repeated fights after a draw or defeat, which is generally typical for any rematch.
In December 2008, Holyfield fought against Russian Nikolai Valuev, losing by decision. The oldest contender for the world title put up a worthy fight against his younger opponent. The fight lasted all 12 rounds, at the end of which the victory was awarded to Valuev (116:112, 115:114, 114:114). Many disagreed with this decision, arguing that Evander was boxing for at least a draw. The result of the fight was not reviewed, and the hype slowly faded away. After that, Holyfield entered the ring three more times. Evander had his last fight on May 7 in Copenhagen (Denmark), where he met with local fighter Brian Nielsen (64-3-0, 43 KOs). The fight, scheduled for 12 rounds, ended early. In the 10th round, the referee stopped the fight and recorded Holyfield's victory by technical knockout.
Evander Holyfield managed to become a sports legend during his lifetime. The biography of the famous American professional boxer has many bright and unforgettable fights. Excellent technique, polished strikes, the ability to predict the opponent’s tactics - this makes the athlete’s performance exemplary. The man has impressive external characteristics - height 189 cm, weight 102 kg.
Childhood and youth
Star American boxing born October 19, 1962 in Alabama. The family had many children, and the boy turned out to be the youngest of the children. Therefore, in childhood, the athlete was forgiven for his tricks and pranks. Annie's mother Laura Holyfield raised the children with their grandmother. Being religious, the woman taught the children to go towards their goal and to be disciplined.
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Evander Holyfield in his youth
At the age of 4, the boy and his family moved to Atlanta, Georgia. During these years, Evander was distinguished by a soft, calm character. At the same time, his family felt great energy in him. At the age of 8, the child began playing sports at the local children's club. Holyfield tried himself in several sports areas at once, but the boxing section aroused particular interest in the child. The coach of the young boxers was Carter Morgan.
Morgan was able to discern a future star of the world ring in the fragile boy. The athlete gained experience from a coach in his youth and learned the secrets of mastery. When the young boxer turned 16, Carter passed away. The event was a blow for the guy; he wanted to quit, but decided for himself that quitting would be an insult to the philosophy of his beloved coach, and continued training.
In the same year, the boxer wins the championship of the southeastern region. After 3 years he acts as a representative of the States in Caracas and takes 2nd place. But the young man’s cherished dream at that time was to participate in the Olympics. In 1984, the athlete managed to bring it to life. Then Holyfield received bronze.
Sport
The boxer's professional career began in the fall of 1984. Then Holyfield won the fight with Lionel Briams. Over the next years, the athlete won victories at the world championships in the heavyweight category. In 1992, Evander lost to Riddick Bowe, but a year later he regained his championship status in a rematch.
Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson
The pinnacle of the boxer's career was the fight with Mike Tyson. The fight took place in 1996, although fans of the athletes expected it back in 1991.
The first time the meeting was postponed due to Tyson's injury, the second time the planned fight was also canceled - Mike was in prison at that time on charges of rape. The decisive match took place on November 9.
In the ring, Holyfield won and regained the WBA champion title. Then the winner was offered a rematch. The boxers met again in the summer of 1997 - a huge audience watched the meeting.
The intense struggle reached its peak - beside himself with the realization of defeat, Tyson bit off his opponent’s earlobe and was disqualified. Photos of the significant moment quickly spread around the world.
In the 2000s, the boxer continued sports career. Among those with whom the man fought were Lou Savarese, Sultan Ibragimov, and others. The athlete’s last professional match took place in 2011. In subsequent years, he entered the ring in exhibition fights. According to experts, Holyfield managed to maintain a signature, recognizable style throughout his career - honed skill and rejection brute force. Out of 57 fights, Evander won 44 victories, of which 29 were knockouts.
Personal life
The athlete's first wife was Paulette Bowen. The couple's marriage lasted from 1985 to 1991. Paulette gave the boxer two sons.
During the same period, his mother insisted that the world ring star meet his father. The men quickly found a common language, and, according to Holyfield, communication continued until the death of his relative.
Evander's second wife is Janice Itson. The marriage, like the first, did not last long - from 1996 to 2000. The third wife of the 40-year-old boxer at that time was 24-year-old Candy Calvana Smith. The couple lived together from 2003 to 2012. In total, Evander has 6 children - 2 sons and 4 daughters.
Evander Holyfield now
In 2019, Holyfield continues to follow events in world boxing. The athlete gives interviews in which he evaluates young boxers.
The legendary heavyweight boxer was born into a family of poor parents in Alabama. He was the youngest in a family of 9 boys. He believes in Jesus and remembers his mother's words all his life: " He who doesn't fight has already lost"Even in his young years, Evander Holyfield found the strength to change everything in his life, and already at the age of 21 he was a millionaire. His first entry into the ring (at the age of 8) made him a winner - the champion of the boxing circle. Since then, 42 years old. Now the 50-year-old boxer is the only one on the planet. 5-time world champion.
Since childhood, every fight of Evander Holyfield ended in his victory. He suffered his first defeat only in 1992 in a battle with Riddick Bow. The boxer first won a professional victory in 1984 in a fight with Lionel Bryans. And after 2 years he won his first title. Next came victories according to the WBC, WBA, IBF versions, which he regularly defended, confirming that he earned them for a reason. Evander Holyfind chooses individual tactics for each opponent. But still, he prefers not to engage in open battle, but to follow an active and restraining struggle.
Evander Holyfield calls the 15-round his toughest fight title fight With Dwight Kawhi, which took place back in 1986. Evander had to stay in the hospital for a week after that victory. And the most inexperienced reader in boxing knows him thanks to Mike Tyson, who, having lost control of himself, managed to bite off Evander’s ear. That fight, which lasted only 3 rounds, took place in 1997 in Las Vegas. However, the boxer forgave Tyson, saying that he learned a lot about boxing from him.
The most valuable thing for Evander, the father of 12 children, is family. He says that you can lose everything in life, but your family will remain forever. Today, the champion has an activity that society needs: together with his wife Janice, he participates in public and charitable activities.
