Evander Holyfield Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.Anti-spam check. Do not fill this in! ==Professional career== ===Light heavyweight=== Holyfield started out professionally as a [[light heavyweight]] with a televised win in six rounds over Lionel Byarm at Madison Square Garden on November 15, 1984. On January 20, 1985, he won another six-round decision over Eric Winbush in Atlantic City, New Jersey. On March 13, he knocked out Fred Brown in the first round in Norfolk, Virginia, and on April 20, he knocked out Mark Rivera in two rounds in Corpus Christi, Texas. ===Cruiserweight=== {{Main|Dwight Muhammad Qawi vs. Evander Holyfield|Evander Holyfield vs. Henry Tillman|Evander Holyfield vs. Rickey Parkey|Evander Holyfield vs. Ossie Ocasio|Evander Holyfield vs. Dwight Muhammad Qawi II|Evander Holyfield vs. Carlos De León}} Both he and his next opponent, [[Tyrone Booze]], moved up to the [[Cruiserweight (boxing)|cruiserweight]] division for their fight on July 20, 1985, in [[Norfolk, Virginia]]. Holyfield won an eight-round decision over Booze. He then went on to knock out Rick Myers in the first round on August 29 in his hometown of [[Atlanta]]. On October 30 in [[Atlantic City]] Holyfield knocked out opponent Jeff Meachem in five rounds, and his last fight for 1985 was against Anthony Davis on December 21 in [[Virginia Beach, Virginia]]. He won by knocking out Davis in the fourth round. He began 1986 with a [[knockout]] in three rounds over former world cruiserweight challenger Chisanda Mutti, and proceeded to beat Jessy Shelby and Terry Mims before being given a world title try by the [[World Boxing Association|WBA]] Cruiserweight Champion [[Dwight Muhammad Qawi]]. In what was called by [[The Ring (magazine)|The Ring]] as ''the best cruiserweight bout of the 1980s'', Holyfield became world champion by defeating Qawi by a narrow 15 round split decision. He culminated 1986 with a trip to [[Paris, France]], where he beat Mike Brothers by a knockout in three, in a non-title bout. In 1987, he defended his title against former Olympic teammate and Gold medal winner [[Henry Tillman]], who had beaten [[Mike Tyson]] twice as an amateur. He retained his belt, winning by seventh-round knockout, and then went on to unify his WBA belt with the [[International Boxing Federation|IBF]] belt held by [[Ricky Parkey]], knocking Parkey out in three rounds. For his next bout, he returned to France, where he retained the title with an eleven-round knockout against former world champion [[Ossie Ocasio]]. In his last fight of 1987, he offered Muhammad Qawi a rematch and, this time, he beat Qawi by a knockout in only four rounds. 1988 was another productive year for Holyfield; he started by becoming the first universally recognized World Cruiserweight Champion after defeating the [[Lineal championship|Lineal]] & [[World Boxing Council|WBC]] Champion [[Carlos De León]] at [[Las Vegas Valley|Las Vegas]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cyberboxingzone.com/boxing/cruiser.htm|title=Evander Holyfield - Lineal Cruiserweight Champion|publisher=The Cyber Boxing Zone Encyclopedia}}</ref> The fight was stopped after eight rounds.<ref>{{cite news | title = Evander Holyfield, king of the cruiserweights, bravely – 04.18.88 – SI Vault | access-date = April 27, 2009 | url = http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1067221/index.htm | work = CNN | date = April 18, 1988 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://archive.today/20130102113354/http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1067221/index.htm | archive-date = January 2, 2013 }}</ref> ===Heavyweight=== {{main|Evander Holyfield vs. James Tillis|Evander Holyfield vs. Pinklon Thomas|Michael Dokes vs. Evander Holyfield|Evander Holyfield vs. Adílson Rodrigues|Evander Holyfield vs. Alex Stewart|Evander Holyfield vs. Seamus McDonagh}} After that fight, he announced he was moving up in weight to pursue the World Heavyweight Championship held by Tyson. His first fight as a Heavyweight took place on July 16, when he beat former Tyson rival [[James "Quick" Tillis]] by a knockout in five, in [[Lake Tahoe, Nevada]] (Tillis had gone the distance with Tyson). For his third and final bout of 1988, he beat former Heavyweight Champion [[Pinklon Thomas]], also by knockout, in seven rounds. Holyfield began 1989 meeting another former Heavyweight Champion, [[Michael Dokes]]. This fight was named one of the best fights of the 1980s by Ring magazine, as ''best heavyweight bout of the 1980s''. Holyfield won by a knockout in the 10th round, and then he met [[Brazilians|Brazilian]] Champion [[Adilson Rodrigues]], who lasted two rounds. His last fight of the 1980s was against [[Alex Stewart (boxer)|Alex Stewart]], a hard punching fringe contender. Stewart shocked Holyfield early, with quick, hard punches, but eventually fell in eight. In 1990, Holyfield beat [[Seamus McDonagh (boxer)|Seamus McDonagh]], knocking him out in four rounds. By this time, Holyfield had been Ring Magazine's number-one contender for two years and had yet to receive a shot at Tyson's Heavyweight title. ===Undisputed heavyweight champion=== {{Main|Buster Douglas vs. Evander Holyfield|Evander Holyfield vs. George Foreman|Evander Holyfield vs. Bert Cooper|Evander Holyfield vs. Larry Holmes}} Holyfield had been promised a title shot against Tyson in 1990. Before that fight could occur, in what many consider to be the biggest upset in boxing history, relatively unknown boxer, 29-year-old, 231 lb. [[Buster Douglas]] defeated the 23-year-old, 218 lb. [[Mike Tyson]] in [[Mike Tyson vs. Buster Douglas|10 rounds in Tokyo]] to become the new undisputed heavyweight champion. Instead of fighting Tyson, Holyfield was Douglas's first title defense. They met on October 25, 1990. Douglas came into the fight at 246 lb. and offered little in the fight against Holyfield, who was in ideal shape at 208 lb. In the third round Douglas tried to start a combination with a big right uppercut. Holyfield countered with a straight right hand and Douglas went down for the count. Holyfield was the new undefeated, undisputed heavyweight champion of the World. At the time of the knockout, Holyfield was ahead on all three judges' scorecards, all seeing it 20–18 for Holyfield. In his first defense, he beat former and future world champion [[George Foreman]] by unanimous decision. The fight was billed as a "Battle for the Ages", a reference to the age difference between the young undefeated champion (28 years old) and the much older George Foreman (42 years old). Holyfield weighed in at 208 pounds and Foreman weighed in at 257 pounds. Foreman lost the fight by a unanimous decision, but surprised many by lasting the whole 12 rounds against a much younger opponent, even staggering Holyfield a few times and knocking him off balance in the seventh round. Then a deal was signed for him to defend his crown against [[Mike Tyson]] in November 1991. Tyson delayed the fight, claiming he was injured in training, but was then convicted for the rape of [[Desiree Washington]] and sentenced to six years in prison, so the fight did not happen at that time. They fought in 1996 (Holyfield won by a TKO in 11) and a rematch in 1997 (Holyfield won by disqualification in three, after Tyson bit both of his ears). Holyfield made his next defense in Atlanta against late replacement in [[Bert Cooper]] over [[Francesco Damiani]] who suffered a foot injury in training days before the fight, Cooper surprised Holyfield with a very good effort. Holyfield scored the first knockdown of the fight against Cooper with a powerful shot to the body, but Cooper returned the favor with a good right hand that sent Holyfield against the ropes; while not an actual knockdown, referee Mills Lane gave Holyfield a standing eight-count. Having suffered the first technical knockdown of his professional career, Holyfield regained his composure quickly and administered a beating that left Cooper still on his feet, but unable to defend himself. Holyfield landed brutal power shots, culminated by repeated vicious uppercuts that snapped Cooper's head back. Referee Mills Lane stopped the bout in the seventh. In his first fight of 1992, he faced 42 year old former world heavyweight champion [[Larry Holmes]], and had just pulled off an upset against [[Ray Mercer]]. During the bout, Holyfield suffered the first scar of his career with a gash opening up over his eye, the result of Holmes' elbow. The fight ended with a unanimous decision in favor of Holyfield. ===Holyfield–Bowe rivalry=== {{Main|Evander Holyfield vs. Riddick Bowe|Evander Holyfield vs. Alex Stewart II|Riddick Bowe vs. Evander Holyfield II}} In the beginning of a trilogy of bouts with the 25-year-old [[Riddick Bowe]], who had won a silver medal in the 1988 Olympics, in the super heavyweight division, he suffered his first defeat when Bowe won the undisputed title by a 12-round unanimous decision in Las Vegas. Round ten of that bout was named the "Round of the Year" by ''The Ring''. Holyfield was knocked down in round 11. He made the mistake of getting into a slugfest with the younger, bigger and stronger Bowe, leading to his defeat. He began 1993 by beating Alex Stewart in a rematch, but this time over the 12-round unanimous distance. Then came the rematch with Bowe on November 6, 1993. In what is considered by many sporting historians as one of the most bizarre moments in boxing's history, during round seven the crowd got off their feet and many people started to run for cover and yell. Holyfield took his eyes off Bowe for one moment and then told Bowe to look up to the skies. What they saw was [[James Miller (parachutist)|a man in a parachute]] flying dangerously close to them. The man almost entered the ring, but his parachute had gotten entangled in the lights and he landed on the ropes and apron of the ring, and he was then pulled into the crowd, where he was beaten by members of Bowe's entourage. Bowe's pregnant wife, Judy, fainted and had to be taken to the hospital from the arena. Twenty minutes later, calm was restored and Holyfield went on to recover his world heavyweight titles with a close 12 round majority decision. The man who parachuted down to the middle of the ring became known as [[Fan Man|The Fan Man]] and the fight itself became known as the Fan Man Fight. His victory over Bowe that year helped Holyfield being named as [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]'s [[Wide World of Sports (U.S. TV series)|Wide World of Sports]] Athlete of the Year for 1993. ===Holyfield vs. Moorer, Holyfield vs. Bowe III=== {{Main|Evander Holyfield vs. Michael Moorer|Evander Holyfield vs. Ray Mercer|Riddick Bowe vs. Evander Holyfield III}} His next fight, April 1994, he met former [[World Boxing Organization|WBO]] light heavyweight [[Michael Moorer]], who was attempting to become the first southpaw to become the universally recognised world heavyweight champion. He dropped Moorer in round two, but lost a twelve-round majority decision. When he went to the hospital to have his shoulder checked, he was diagnosed with a heart condition and had to announce his retirement from boxing. It later surfaced that the chairman of the medical advisory board for the [[Nevada State Athletic Commission]] believed his condition to be consistent with [[HGH]] use.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/more/02/28/holyfield/index.html | work=CNN | title=SI: Holyfield allegedly received steroids, HGH via alias | date=February 28, 2007 | access-date=May 2, 2010}}</ref> However, watching a television show hosted by preacher [[Benny Hinn]], Holyfield says he felt his heart heal. He and Hinn subsequently became friends and he became a frequent visitor to Hinn's crusades. In fact, during this time, Holyfield went to a Benny Hinn crusade in Philadelphia, had Hinn lay hands on him and gave Hinn a check for $265,000 after he was told he was healed. He then passed his next examination by the boxing commission. Holyfield later stated that his heart was misdiagnosed due to the morphine pumped into his body. In 1995, Holyfield returned to the ring with a ten-round decision win versus former Olympic gold medalist, [[Ray Mercer]]. He was the first man to knock down Mercer. Holyfield and Bowe then had their rubber match. Holyfield knocked Bowe down with a single left hook but Bowe prevailed by a knockout in eight. Holyfield later claimed that he contracted [[hepatitis]] before the fight.<ref>[http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/boxing/news/story?id=2172860 Trilogies filled with triumphs, tragedies – boxing – ESPN]. Sports.espn.go.com (September 29, 2005). Retrieved on October 3, 2011.</ref> ===Holyfield–Tyson rivalry=== ====Holyfield vs. Tyson==== {{Main|Mike Tyson vs. Evander Holyfield|Evander Holyfield vs. Mike Tyson II}} In 1996, Holyfield met former world champion [[Bobby Czyz]], beating him by a knockout in six. Afterwards, he and [[Mike Tyson]] met. Tyson had recovered the WBC and WBA Heavyweight Championship and, after being stripped of the WBC title for not facing [[Lennox Lewis]], defended the WBA title against Holyfield on November 9 of that year. Tyson was heavily favored to win, but Holyfield made history by [[Tyson-Holyfield I|defeating Tyson]] in an 11th round [[technical knockout|TKO]]. This was the third occasion on which Holyfield won the WBA Heavyweight title. However, the fight was not recognized as being for the [[lineal championship]], which was held by [[George Foreman]] at the time.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cyberboxingzone.com/boxing/achamp.htm |title=The Lineal Heavyweight Boxing Champs |publisher=The Cyber Boxing Zone Encyclopedia |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090603092447/http://www.cyberboxingzone.com/boxing/achamp.htm |archive-date=2009-06-03 }}</ref> ====Holyfield vs. Tyson II: The Bite Fight==== Holyfield's rematch with Tyson took place on June 28, 1997. Known as "The Bite Fight", it went into the annals of boxing as one of the most bizarre fights in history. The infamous incident occurred in the third round, when Tyson bit Holyfield on one of his ears and had two points deducted. Referee Mills Lane decided to disqualify Tyson initially, but after Holyfield and the ringside doctor intervened and said Holyfield could continue, he relented and allowed the fight to go on. Tyson bit Holyfield again, this time on the other ear. Tyson's teeth tore off a small section of the top of his opponent's ear, known as the [[Helix (ear)|helix]], and spat that bit of flesh out onto the canvas. The immediate aftermath of the incident was bedlam. Tyson was disqualified and a melee ensued. Tyson claimed his bites were a retaliation to Holyfield's unchecked [[headbutt]]s, which had cut him in both fights. Others argued that Tyson, knowing he was on his way to another knockout loss, was looking for a way out of the fight. [[Teddy Atlas]], who had briefly trained Tyson seventeen years earlier, predicted that Tyson would get himself disqualified, calling Tyson "a very weak and flawed person".<ref>"Atlas Shrugged, He Knows What's Eating Tyson," Michael Katz, ''New Daily News'', June 30, 1997</ref> ===Holyfield vs. Moorer II, Bean=== {{Main|Evander Holyfield vs. Michael Moorer II|Evander Holyfield vs. Vaughn Bean}} Next came another rematch, this time against Michael Moorer, who had recovered the IBF's world title. Holyfield knocked Moorer to the canvas five times and referee Mitch Halpern stopped the fight between the eighth and ninth rounds under the advice of physician Flip Homansky. Holyfield once again unified his WBA belt with the IBF belt by avenging his defeat by Moorer. In 1998 Holyfield had only one fight, making a [[mandatory challenger|mandatory defense]] against [[Vaughn Bean]], who was defeated by decision at the [[Georgia Dome]] in the champion's hometown. For the first time, Holyfield's performance called into question whether age was diminishing his ability to continue as a championship fighter.<ref>{{cite news | first=Mike| last=Wise | title=Bean Dents Holyfield's Armor | date=September 21, 1998 | url =https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C06E2D71330F932A1575AC0A96E958260| work =The New York Times| access-date = May 13, 2008}}</ref> ===Holyfield–Lewis rivalry=== {{Main|Evander Holyfield vs. Lennox Lewis|Evander Holyfield vs. Lennox Lewis II}} ====Holyfield vs. Lewis==== By 1999, the public was clamoring for a unification bout versus the WBC World Champion, [[Lennox Lewis]] of the [[United Kingdom]]. That bout happened in March of that year. The bout was declared a controversial draw after twelve rounds, where it appeared to most that Lewis dominated the fight.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/boxing/columns/story?columnist=rafael_dan&id=2473382 | work=ESPN | title=Rafael's 'lock' list of boxers bound for Canastota | date=June 7, 2006 | access-date=March 25, 2012}}</ref> Holyfield claimed his performance was hindered by stomach and leg cramps.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/more/boxing/1999/lewis_holyfield/news/1999/11/12/fight_preview_ap/index.html | work=CNN | title=Lennox Lewis vows to take matters into his own hands | date=November 13, 1999 | access-date=May 2, 2010}}</ref> Holyfield and Lewis were ordered by the three leading organizations of which they were champions to have an immediate rematch. ====Holyfield vs. Lewis II==== The second time around, in November of that year, Lewis became the Undisputed Champion by beating Holyfield via unanimous decision by three American judges. "I haven't felt this good after a fight since I was a cruiserweight," Holyfield said; "It makes me think I should have fought a little harder against Lennox. Maybe I'd be sore and sick, but I'd have the victory."<ref name='AP 1999-11-15'>{{cite news | title=Holyfield at peace after loss to Lewis| date=November 15, 1999 | url =http://www.canoe.ca/SlamHolyfieldLewis/nov15_hol.html | archive-url =https://archive.today/20120629151038/http://www.canoe.ca/SlamHolyfieldLewis/nov15_hol.html | url-status =usurped | archive-date =June 29, 2012 | work =Canoe | access-date = March 2, 2008}}</ref> ===Holyfield–John Ruiz trilogy=== {{Main|Evander Holyfield vs. John Ruiz|Evander Holyfield vs. John Ruiz II|John Ruiz vs. Evander Holyfield III}} In 2000, Lewis was stripped of the WBA belt for failing to meet lightly regarded Don King fighter [[John Ruiz]], having fought Ruiz's conqueror [[David Tua]], and the WBA ordered Holyfield and Ruiz to meet for that organization's world title belt. Holyfield and Ruiz began their trilogy in August of that year, with Holyfield making history by winning on a controversial, but unanimous 12-round decision to become the first boxer in history to be the World Heavyweight Champion four times. Holyfield blamed his lackluster performance on a perforated (broken) eardrum.<ref>[http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2001/Mar-01-Thu-2001/sports/15546647.html ''Las Vegas Review-Journal'': Sports]. Reviewjournal.com (March 1, 2001). Retrieved on October 3, 2011.</ref> Seven months later, in March 2001, it was Ruiz's turn to make history at Holyfield's expense when he surprisingly managed to knock Holyfield down and beat him by a 12-round decision to become the first [[Hispanic]] ever to win a Heavyweight title. On December 15 of that year, Holyfield challenged Ruiz for the title, in an attempt to become champion again. The fight was declared a draw and John Ruiz maintained the WBA Championship title. ===Holyfield vs. Byrd=== {{Main|Evander Holyfield vs. Hasim Rahman|Chris Byrd vs. Evander Holyfield}} 2002 began as a promising year for Holyfield: in June, he met former World Heavyweight Champion [[Hasim Rahman]], to determine who would face Lewis next. Holyfield was leading on two of the three scorecards when the fight was stopped in the eighth round due to a severe [[hematoma]] on Rahman's forehead above his left eye that was caused by a headbutt earlier in the fight. Holyfield was ahead, so he was declared the winner by a technical decision. The IBF decided to strip Lewis of his belt after he didn't want to fight Don King-promoted fighter [[Chris Byrd]], instead going after Tyson, and declared that the winner of the fight between Holyfield and former WBO Heavyweight Champion Byrd would be recognized as their Heavyweight Champion. On December 14, 2002, Holyfield once again tried to become the first man ever to be Heavyweight Champion five times when he and Byrd met, but Byrd came out as the winner by a 12-round unanimous decision. ===Consecutive losses, New York suspension=== {{main|Evander Holyfield vs. James Toney|Evander Holyfield vs. Larry Donald}} On October 4, 2003, Holyfield lost to [[James Toney]] by TKO when his corner threw in the towel in the ninth round. At age 42, Holyfield returned to the ring to face [[Larry Donald]] on November 13, 2004. He lost his third consecutive match in a twelve-round unanimous decision. In August 2005 it had been reported that the [[New York State Athletic Commission]] had banned Evander Holyfield from boxing in [[New York (state)|New York]] due to "diminishing skills" despite the fact that Holyfield had passed a battery of medical tests. ===Comeback=== [[File:EHolyfield.jpg|thumb|Holyfield vs. [[Lou Savarese|Savarese]], 2007]] Holyfield was initially criticized for his ongoing comeback; but he was adamant that his losses to Toney and Donald were the result of a shoulder injury, not of old age. Holyfield had looked better in his first four fights since Donald and appeared to have answered the critics who say that he lacked the cutting edge and ability to follow up on crucial openings that he had in his youth. Holyfield defeated [[Jeremy Bates (boxer)|Jeremy Bates]] by TKO on August 18, 2006, in a 10-round bout at [[American Airlines Center]] in [[Dallas]], [[Texas]]. Holyfield dominated the fight which was stopped in the second round after he landed roughly twenty consecutive punches on Bates. Holyfield defeated [[Fres Oquendo]] by unanimous decision on November 10, 2006, in [[San Antonio, Texas]]. Holyfield knocked Oquendo down in the first minute of the first round and continued to be the aggressor throughout the fight, winning a unanimous decision by scores of 116–111 and 114–113 twice. On March 17, 2007, Holyfield defeated [[Vinny Maddalone]] by TKO when Maddalone's corner threw in the towel to save their man from serious injury in the ring. On June 30, 2007, Holyfield defeated [[Lou Savarese]], knocking the bigger and heavier Savarese down in the fourth and again in the ninth round, en route to a unanimous decision win. This was Holyfield's fourth win in ten months, two of them by KO. This victory finally set the stage for Holyfield's title fight against [[Sultan Ibragimov]], for the WBO Heavyweight title. ====Holyfield vs. Ibragimov==== {{Main|Sultan Ibragimov vs. Evander Holyfield}} On October 13, 2007, Holyfield was defeated by Sultan Ibragimov. Although unable to defy his critics by winning a fifth Heavyweight title, Holyfield refused to be backed up by the young champion and even rattled him in the closing part of the 12th round. The fight was mostly uneventful, however, with neither fighter being truly staggered or knocked down. In most exchanges, Sultan was able to land two punches to Holyfield's one. The result was a unanimous decision for Ibragimov, with scores of 118–110 and 117–111 twice. ====Holyfield vs. Valuev==== {{Main|Nikolai Valuev vs. Evander Holyfield}} He told [[BBC Scotland]]'s Sports Weekly "I'm gonna fight, be the heavyweight champion of the world one more time. Then I'm gonna write another book and tell everybody how I did it." On December 20, 2008, he fought, at the [[Hallenstadion]] in [[Zürich]], [[Switzerland]], the WBA Heavyweight Champion [[Nikolai Valuev]] for a paycheck of $600,000, the lowest amount he has ever received for a championship fight. At the weigh-in, he weighed 214 pounds, Valuev weighed a career low of 310 pounds. Valuev defeated Holyfield by a highly controversial majority decision after a relatively uneventful bout. One judge scored the bout a draw 114–114, while the others had Valuev winning 116–112 and 115–114. Many analysts were outraged at the decision, thinking Holyfield had clearly won.<ref>[http://sports.espn.go.com/broadband/video/videopage?categoryId=2491554&brand=null&videoId=3784246&n8pe6c=2 Dan Rafael Breaks Down Valuev's Win – ESPN Video – ESPN] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081224122514/http://sports.espn.go.com/broadband/video/videopage?categoryId=2491554&brand=null&videoId=3784246&n8pe6c=2 |date=December 24, 2008 }}. Sports.espn.go.com (December 20, 2008). Retrieved on October 3, 2011.</ref> There was talk of a rematch in 2009. The WBA did their own investigation into the controversial decision;<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20090729165421/http://sports-odds.com/fight/123008-nikolai-valuev-win-over-evander-holyfield-under-investigation.html Nikolai Valuev Win Over Evander Holyfield Under Investigation]</ref> "As the World Boxing Association (WBA) always cares about and respects the fans' and the media's opinion, the Championship Committee has ordered a panel of judges to review the tape of the fight between Nikolai Valuev and Evander Holyfield, for the WBA heavyweight title" read a statement from the WBA. The organization also expressed that they "will give a decision accordingly in the following weeks." Many speculated that an immediate rematch would be the most likely scenario, but this never materialised. Valuev lost the WBA title in his next fight against [[Great Britain|British]] boxer [[David Haye]]. ===Holyfield vs. Botha=== After the loss to Valuev, Holyfield took a period of inactivity. He reportedly agreed to fight [[Sport in South Africa#Boxing|South African]] boxer [[Francois Botha]] on January 16, 2010; it was agreed that the venue for the fight would be the [[National Stadium (Uganda)|Nelson Mandela Memorial Stadium]] in [[Kampala]], Uganda. A few weeks before the fight, it was revealed that the bout would be postponed to February 20, 2010.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/boxing/8436344.stm | work=BBC News | title=Holyfield-Botha fight is delayed | date=January 4, 2010 | access-date=May 2, 2010}}</ref><ref>[http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?entryID=4686941&name=rafael_dan Thanksgiving offers no rest for busy boxing folks – ESPN]. Sports.espn.go.com. Retrieved on October 3, 2011.</ref> The match was put in jeopardy due to economic disagreements but was later confirmed to be on April 10, 2010, at the [[Thomas & Mack Center]] in [[Las Vegas Valley|Las Vegas]].<ref>{{cite web | author =Lotierzo, Frank | title =Evander Holyfield Is Making It Hard To Remember How Special He Once Was | publisher =TheSweetScience.com | date =April 10, 2010 | url =http://www.thesweetscience.com/boxing-article/7911/evander-holyfield-making-hard-remember-how-special-once-was/ | url-status =dead | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20100413024748/http://www.thesweetscience.com/boxing-article/7911/evander-holyfield-making-hard-remember-how-special-once-was/ | archive-date =April 13, 2010 }}</ref> When asked about his upcoming bout, the four-time world heavyweight champion said: "I've been hearing for a while that I can't do it. All it does is light a fire under me to prove people wrong." He added: "I can still fight. I don't want to leave until I've become the undisputed heavyweight champion one more time. That's been my goal the entire time."<ref>{{cite web | author =Carp, Steve | title =Holyfield fights Botha, doubters in ring tonight | website =Las Vegas Review-Journal | date =April 10, 2010 | url =http://www.lvrj.com/sports/holyfield-fights-botha--doubters-in-ring-tonight-90463884.html}}</ref> The American boxer scored an eighth-round knockout of Botha to win the vacant World Boxing Federation (WBF) Heavyweight title.<ref>{{cite web | author =Avila, David | title =Evander Holyfield Stops Botha In 8th | publisher =TheSweetScience.com | date =April 11, 2010 | url =http://www.thesweetscience.com/boxing-article/7916/evander-holyfield-stops-botha-8th/ | url-status =dead | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20100413055003/http://www.thesweetscience.com/boxing-article/7916/evander-holyfield-stops-botha-8th/ | archive-date =April 13, 2010 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | title =Evander Holyfield beats Frans Botha to take WBF title in Las Vegas | work =Guardian.co.uk | date =April 11, 2010 | url =https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2010/apr/11/evander-holyfield-frans-botha | location=London | access-date=May 2, 2010}}</ref> Holyfield started slowly as usual in the early going. Botha held and hit Holyfield, and took the control of the fight for the first three rounds. However, the South African could not slow down Holyfield, though he did hurt him, and the American boxer slowly began to punch him more to take control of the bout in the later rounds. In the seventh round Holyfield stunned Botha and knocked him down in the eighth round. Though he beat the count, Holyfield cornered him and landed many punches that forced the referee Russell Mora to stop the bout. At the time of the stoppage, Holyfield was behind on two judges' cards, 67–66, while the third judge had it 69–64 for the American boxer. Only 3,127 attended the fight.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/mma/boxing/04/11/holyfield.botha.ap/index.html |work=CNN |title=Holyfield, 47, KOs Botha in 8th to capture WBF heavyweight title |date=April 11, 2010 |access-date=May 2, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100414175047/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/mma/boxing/04/11/holyfield.botha.ap/index.html |archive-date=April 14, 2010 }}</ref> ===Holyfield vs. Williams=== After the Botha fight, Holyfield said he was interested in fighting either [[Vitali Klitschko]], the current WBC champion, or his younger brother [[Wladimir Klitschko]].<ref>Rosenthal, Michael. (April 11, 2010) [http://www.ringtv.com/blog/1809/weekend_review_bertos_big_night/ Weekend Review: Berto's big night] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100415181728/http://www.ringtv.com/blog/1809/weekend_review_bertos_big_night/ |date=2010-04-15 }}. RingTV. Retrieved on October 3, 2011.</ref><ref>{{cite web | author =Okamoto, Brett | title =Evander Holyfield has eyes on Klitschkos, no matter what anyone thinks | publisher =LasVegasSun.com | date =April 10, 2010 | url =http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/apr/10/evander-holyfield-has-eyes-klitschkos-no-matter-wh/}}</ref> Holyfield's next bout against [[Sherman Williams (boxer)|Sherman "The Tank" Williams]] on November 5, 2010, at [[Joe Louis Arena]] in [[Detroit]], Michigan, was then postponed twice before finally being rescheduled to January 22, 2011, and moved to The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. Holyfield started the bout slowly and in the second round, he was cut in the left eye following an accidental clash of heads. In round three as he took several combinations. After the end of the round, Holyfield told his corner that he was unable to see due to the cut. Consequently, the bout was ruled a [[No contest (boxing)|no contest]].<ref>{{cite web |title =Evander Holyfield-Sherman Williams Ends in No-Contest |publisher =Boxing Scene |date =January 23, 2011 |url =http://www.boxingscene.com/evander-holyfield-sherman-williams-ends-no-contest--35050 |access-date =January 23, 2011}}</ref> The [[World Boxing Council|WBC]] had allegedly agreed to match Holyfield up with [[Vitali Klitschko]] after fights with Williams and Nielsen.<ref>{{cite web | author =Laz Izada | title =Evander Holyfield at 48: Should He Still Be Fighting? | publisher =Bleacher Report, Inc. | date =January 3, 2011 | url =http://bleacherreport.com/articles/560232-evander-holyfield-at-48-should-he-still-be-fighting}}</ref> ===Holyfield vs. Nielsen=== A fight with [[Brian Nielsen (boxer)|Brian Nielsen]], the most popular Danish heavyweight in that country's history, was scheduled for March 5, 2011, in Denmark, but needed to be postponed to May 7, 2011, due to a cut Holyfield received in the Williams fight.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aolnews.com/2011/02/03/evander-holyfields-cut-postpones-brian-nielsen-fight-to-may-7/|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120629151050/http://www.aolnews.com/2011/02/03/evander-holyfields-cut-postpones-brian-nielsen-fight-to-may-7/|url-status=dead|archive-date=2012-06-29|title=News & latest headlines from AOL|work=AOL.com}}</ref> The official weigh-in was held on Friday night in Denmark, with Holyfield at 225 pounds, while his opponent Nielsen, with his shorts on, weighed 238 pounds. Nielsen had never been this light in his career. Nielsen had said that although it would be mighty difficult for him to beat Holyfield, he promised it would not be a one sided affair. Holyfield said that if he won he would move to next level and challenge for major titles. Holyfield started the fight aggressively, pressing the 46-year-old Nielsen into the ropes and landing several hard jabs and hooks, knocking him down in the 3rd round. Despite getting a swollen eye in the 4th round, Nielsen kept on clowning to provoke Holyfield throughout the bout, prompting his trainer, Paul Duvill, to beg him to stop fooling around and focus on Holyfield. In round 10, Nielsen pushed a tired-looking Holyfield into the ropes with a series of combinations, before Holyfield turned it around. Holyfield pushed Nielsen into a corner and battered him with combinations until the referee stopped the contest.<ref>[http://sporten.tv2.dk/article.php/id-39595795:nielsen-vs-holyfield-omgang-for-omgang.html Nielsen vs Holyfield: Omgang for omgang – TV 2 Sporten]. Sporten.tv2.dk. Retrieved on October 3, 2011.</ref><ref>[http://sporten.tv2.dk/article.php/id-39599628:boksebamsen-fik-med-bj%C3%B8rnekloen.html Boksebamsen fik med bjørnekloen – TV 2 Sporten]. Sporten.tv2.dk. Retrieved on October 3, 2011.</ref> ===Retirement=== After the Nielsen fight, Holyfield attempted to land a shot at a world heavyweight title (all major belts were held by Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko, at that time). However, after more than a year of trying to land this fight, Yahoo News reported his intention to retire in 2012, with Holyfield stating, "The game's been good to me and I hope I've been good to the game. ... I'm 50 years old (on Friday) and I've pretty much did everything that I wanted to do in boxing."<ref>{{cite web|last=Iole |first=Kevin |url=https://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/boxing/ex-heavyweight-king-evander-holyfield-officially-retire-hall-173012999--box.html |title=Ex-heavyweight king Evander Holyfield to officially retire; Hall of Fame countdown begins |publisher=sports.yahoo.com |date=October 16, 2012 |access-date=January 6, 2014}}</ref> Later that same month, however, Holyfield seemed to change his mind, saying that he still considers himself a "serious contender."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.tmz.com/2012/10/22/evander-holyfield-unretiring-boxing-video/ |title=Evander Holyfield - I'm UNRETIRING! |newspaper=TMZ |publisher=TMZ.com |date=October 22, 2012 |access-date=January 6, 2014}}</ref> Unable to secure a title shot, his career went into limbo for several months. However, In June 2014, after not fighting in over three years, Holyfield announced his final retirement. He is currently a boxing adviser to heavyweight prospect [[Zhang Zhilei]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ringtv.craveonline.com/news/345439-evander-holyfield-retires-im-done|title=Evander Holyfield officially retires: 'I'm done' - Ring TV|author=Tim SmIth|date=26 June 2014|work=Ring TV|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006132728/http://ringtv.craveonline.com/news/345439-evander-holyfield-retires-im-done|archive-date=6 October 2014}}</ref> Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here. You are also promising us that you wrote this yourself, or copied it from a public domain or similar free resource (see Christianpedia:Copyrights for details). Do not submit copyrighted work without permission! Cancel Editing help (opens in new window) Discuss this page