Former Heavyweight Boxing Champ Holyfield Confident Going Into Valuev Clash

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Evander Holyfield is convinced that neither size nor age will matter in Saturday´s showdown with WBA Heavyweight Champion Nikolai Valuev. The 46 year old challenger is determined to become the oldest heavyweight champion in the history of boxing when he takes on “The Russian Giant” in front of a sellout crowd of 12,500 fans in Zurich, Switzerland.

In order to put his name in the record books, though, he needs to defeat the biggest and tallest champion of all time.

“I will display a performance that will surprise many people,” Holyfield said at today´s official press conference. “I have been asked about my age so many times but that is fine. It is not about how old you are.

“It is about how old you feel and what you can do inside the ring. I am very experienced and I know what I have to do against Valuev. I am in great shape and I really look forward to Saturday night.”

Valuev will make his second appearance in Switzerland after stopping Jameel McCline in the third round of their meeting in January 2007. “It is great to be back in Switzerland,” Valuev said. “It is a great country and the people are very nice. It is something very special to fight an accomplished champion such as Evander Holyfield.

“He is a living legend and I am full of respect for him. However, once you are inside the ring, neither names nor titles, matter any more. I have trained very well and I will put on a good performance on Saturday night.”

Manager Wilfried Sauerland admitted the showdown will be one of the biggest fights he has ever staged. “This is a very special bout,” he said. “Holyfield has been heavyweight champion four times. He faces the biggest champion of all time. It is a clash of the superlatives.”

Philippe Huber, CEO of co-organizers Kentaro, believes that Saturday´s clash will help to put Switzerland on the world boxing map. “We are keen to establish Switzerland as a top venue for great boxing fights,” he said. “This is truly an outstanding event.”

A relaxed Holyfield also happily answered questions that were not related to boxing. A curious reporter wanted to know whether he really lived in a house with more than 100 rooms. “Yes, that is true,” Holyfield said. “I have been blessed and I am very thankful for my lifestyle. I have worked very hard for it and that is what I will do on Saturday night: Work hard to win the title.”

Asked about how many rooms his house in Russia has, Valuev smiled and answered. “My new house is not finished yet. These kinds of things take a little longer in Russia.”

Also on PPV is an 8-round super middleweight bout between Danish southpaw Mads “Golden Boy” Larsen (50-2, 37 KOs), former IBO title-holder, and 5-time world kickboxing and Thai boxing champion, Roberto Cocco (9-2, 5 KOs), from Italy.

Highlights from some other fights on the card, time permitting, may be shown including a 12-round co-feature matching two undefeated heavyweights, German-based, Italian-born southpaw Francesco Pianeta (17-0, 11 KOs) defending his European heavyweight title against French challenger Johann Duhaupas (17-0, 10 KOs); former New York Knicks dancer Eileen “The Hawaiian Mongoose” Olszewski (5-2-1, 0 KOs) defending her WIBA flyweight title against undefeated German favorite Nadia Raoul (9-0, 3 KOs); heavyweight Oleg Platov (26-1, 22 KOs) versus Jason Gavern (15-4-3, 8 KOs), cruiserweights Jimmy Kapanov (8-0, 5 KOs) and Paolo Ferrara (25-13-1, 7 KOs); heavyweight Timor Ibragimov (24-2-1, 13 KOs) vs. TBA.

Valuev-Holyfield is promoted by Wilfried Sauerland’s Sauerland Event and its Managing Director, Christian Meyer, in association with Don King Productions. The broadcast is being distributed in the United States by Integrated Sports for live viewing at 3 PM/ET – 12 PM/PT on both cable and satellite pay-per-view via iN Demand, TVN and DISH Network for a suggested retail price of only $24.95. A same night replay will be available at 9:00 PM/ET – 6:00 PM/PT. Award-winning announcers Nick Charles and Al Bernstein will call all of the action.

For more information about Saturday’s Valuev-Holyfield PPV go to www.integratedsportsnet.com.