Evander Holyfield

REAL DEAL ‘Smart’ and ‘humble’ Evander Holyfield was like a ‘walking tiger’ in the ring, lauded by Mike Tyson and other legends as the best they ever faced.

Boxing legends Mike Tyson, Lennox Lewis, Riddick Bowe and Michael Moorer all consider Evander Holyfield to be the greatest fighter they ever fought.

For some reason, Holyfield’s name isn’t mentioned as much in the same conversations as Muhammad Ali, Joe Louis, and Tyson – but he’s right up there with the best ever.

Perhaps it’s his humble, quiet demeanor, or maybe because we remember him as the guy who had a chunk of his ear bitten off by Tyson in 1997.

Holyfield won both of his fights against Tyson in the 1990s. He beat Foreman and Larry Holmes, too.

The 57-year-old is the only four-time heavyweight champion in history, and the only boxer ever to win the undisputed championship in two weight classes.

As talk of a remarkable third fight against Tyson gathers pace, it’s no surprise that most of the spotlight has fallen on ‘Iron Mike’, being the character that he is.

But, there’s a reason why Holyfield was nicknamed ‘The Real Deal’. Here’s what some of the biggest names in heavyweight boxing had to say about him…

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Mike Tyson

For years, Tyson claimed he bit Holyfield in protest against relentless headbutting during both fights.

However, the world knew it was actually frustration at being outfought, and Tyson eventually admitted that to Oprah in 2009: “I was so pissed off that Holyfield was such a great fighter and wanted to desperately beat him.”

In a recent interview with Holyfield on his podcast ‘Hotboxin”, Tyson said: “He’s a good guy, I always knew he was a good guy. I want people to react and get in their heads, but he never reacted.

“He was an awesome counter-puncher. I’d say the best ever.

“I always wondered how he could be so good and so humble.”

And in an interview with Ring Magazine, Tyson described Holyfield as his best ever opponent. He said “Great champion: chin, heart, determination, work ethic, demeanor.”

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Lennox Lewis

Lewis was one of the few men to overcome Holyfield, although it took 24 brutal rounds.

Their first fight in 1999 was called a split-decision draw, before Lewis got the decision in the second bout, even though Holyfield still insists he won.

“People seem to be genuinely surprised when I tell them [Holyfield] was my toughest opponent, not to be confused with my toughest fight, which was [Ray] Mercer, but when you really dive into why that is, it actually makes a lot of sense,” the 54-year-old wrote on Instagram.

“Holyfield, like me, has an extensive amateur pedigree that has served him well throughout his professional career. He started boxing at eight years old and was an Olympic bronze medalist in 1984. Before he moved up to the heavyweight division, he’s a man that cleared out the cruiserweight division to become the undisputed champion, and arguably the best ever, in that weight class.

“That’s a lot of experience and it’s safe to say that by the time we met for the undisputed heavyweight championship in 1999, he had seen it all. When you combine Evander’s amateur and professional experience, you would be hard pressed not to see the kind of success he’s had in the ring.

“I may tease him a bit on our two fights, he knows I won both fights even though he won’t admit it, but in all seriousness, he’s the only man that has gone 24 rounds with me.”

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George Foreman

A 42-year-old Foreman was punching his way back to the top before he met Holyfield in 1991.

Nobody gave Foreman a chance against Holyfield in his prime, but he managed to go the distance before losing via unanimous decision.

Big George tweeted in 2017: “No one ever had as much heart, you hurt him you get 15 shots, like waking a Tiger.”

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Riddick Bowe

Bowe did something nobody else could manage and beat Holyfield TWICE during their epic trilogy of fights.

Holyfield considers Bowe his toughest ever opponent, and it turns out the feeling is mutual.

Bowe told Ring Magazine: “He was better than anyone I ever fought. He could think, he could match wits with you. Our fights were so good because he could match me in the thinking aspect. He was always in such great shape.

“He had the best defence, the best offence. I mean hands down he made you work. If you weren’t in shape, it wasn’t going to happen.

“I could shake Evander and he’d come back with four, five shots. And if you weren’t in shape, that’s when he was going to get you. He was always going to come back at you.

“Here’s a guy, you hit him with a left hook, he would keep his guard up, get close to you and turn his body. He was very smart in that aspect.

“Evander was smart, he was a thinker, he was in great shape, he had all the attributes to make him a great champion. That’s why he and I fought against each other so hard and so well.”

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Larry Holmes

One of the reasons Holyfield isn’t always included in conversations about the greatest ever is because he carried on too long.

Having suffered only three defeats between the age of 22 and 37, he lost three in a row when he was 40 and carried on until he was 48.

Speaking at the time, though, Holmes explains why Holyfield was able to continue deep into his forties.

He said: “Today’s fighters don’t have the dedication and the dicipline to come out and be a champion. That’s why Evander’s still fighting.

“You can’t blame them for fighting when there’s nothing out there. You can keep giving him opponents, he’s going to keep fighting and keep winning.

“These guys still need to learn how to fight, Evander is the only one I see with the discipline. He dedicates himself and still weighs the same thing he did ten years ago.”

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Michael Moorer

Moorer is the only other man, alongside Bowe, to beat Holyfield in his prime.

And like Bowe, Moorer has nothing but respect for ‘The Real Deal’.

He told Ring Magazine: “Every time he fought someone a second time, he was better, except maybe against Lennox Lewis.

“He was a student of the game and then he perfected it. I’ve always respected his smarts.

“I feel that Evander was the best that I faced, because he was always at his peak.

“When you are at your peak, you are always ready for everything and anything that is put before you. Evander always came ready.

“So I feel that he would have to be the best one that I fought, because he would always get himself in the best shape possible for any fight.

“He was always that guy. If he did not beat you the first time, he would beat you the second time.”

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Evander Holyfield made millions fighting Mike Tyson and Lennox Lewis in legendary career, but lost it all and had to sell 109-room mansion to Rick Ross

Evander Holyfield nearly quit the sport that made him when he was just eleven years old.

The youngest of nine children, Holyfield took up boxing after being inspired by a glimpse at a speed bag and thrived under the mentorship of his first coach, Carter Morgan.

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The future champion showed natural talent early on and won all of his junior contests for the first three years, but he was then beaten by a young boy named Cecil Collins.

Frustrated by defeat, Evander ran home and informed his mother he was done with boxing, only for her to tell him otherwise.

“When I lost my first fight at 11 years old, I quit,” he explained. “My mama said that I had to go back because she didn’t raise a quitter.

“I lost my second fight [to Collins again], and I quit. She made me go back and try once again.”

Eventually, when they met for a third time, Holyfield conquered Collins.

He returned home and proudly told his mother, who said she was now happy for him to stop boxing.

His response: “I don’t wanna quit anymore!”

From there, Holyfield’s amateur career went from strength to strength and eventually took him to the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

The ‘Real Deal’ began to earn his nickname as he tore through the first three rounds of competition with consecutive stoppage wins.

Then, in the semi-final, he met New Zealand’s Kevin Barry and lost by controversial disqualification.

Holyfield had started well in the rugged affair and floored Barry with a left hook just six seconds before the end of round two.

However, Yugoslav referee Gligorije Novicic insisted he’d called a break/stop in action – seemingly while Holyfield was already midway through his combination – and disqualified the American as a result.

Speculation was quickly rife about the intentions of Novicic as the bout he was refereeing between Holyfield and Barry decided who faced his Yugoslav countryman Anton Josipovic in the Olympic final.

Many accused Novicic of deliberately disqualifying the US gold medal favourite to give Josipovic a greater chance of winning.

Nothing was ever proven. The Yugoslav fighter went on to claim gold.

In an astonishing act of defiance though, Josipovic appeared to recognise the ‘robbery’ during the medal ceremony as he pulled Holyfield up from the bronze podium position to stand alongside himself on the gold spot.

Despite this fresh heartbreak, Evander had learned his lesson from childhood and gave no thoughts to quitting boxing.

Instead he turned professional and created a legacy.

Within 12 fights he beat Dwight Muhammad Qawi to claim the WBA cruiserweight title and picked up the other two belts to become undisputed champion not long later.

Then came Holyfield’s boldest move as he began to bulk up to heavyweight so he could chase down the unique achievement of conquering boxing’s top two divisions as undisputed king.

Mike Tyson was initially the firm target, perceived at 37-0 as a seemingly-invincible young superstar.

However, disaster struck when James ‘Buster’ Douglas caused the biggest upset in boxing history by knocking out Tyson in Tokyo.

This turned out to be disaster for not just Mike, but for Evander also.

Eight months later, Holyfield dethroned Douglas by knockout and achieved his ultimate goal, establishing himself as the undisputed heavyweight king after previously achieving the same monumental feat in the division below.

But very few gave him much credit.

As Tyson was such a sensation, large portions of the public refused to accept his loss and various excuses emerged.

They also fairly pointed out that Holyfield had beaten a far heavier and worse-prepared Douglas than the one who had conquered Tyson.

‘Buster’ had spent eight months enjoying his newfound fame, obviously too much.

Holyfield recalled to the BBC: “I was pleased, I reached my goal, but after I reached the goal and became champion, it didn’t stop people from talking.

“I had people saying, ‘He didn’t beat Tyson.’

“Saying, ‘You beat Buster Douglas. You beat a fat Buster Douglas.’

“They were like, ‘You ain’t no real champion, you didn’t beat Mike Tyson.’ And I was like, ‘That ain’t my fault.’

To settle the issue, Holyfield and Tyson signed to face one another, only for the bout to be scrapped due to a rib injury to ‘Iron Mike’.

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Soon afterwards, he was convicted of rape and sentenced to six years in prison.

Tyson was gone, and with him went Holyfield’s chance to prove himself as a true champion.

The years that followed were tumultuous for Evander as he suffered his first defeat to Riddick Bowe. He avenged the loss, but was next beaten by Michael Moorer.

After this, he retired as doctors spotted he was suffering with a heart condition in the immediate aftermath of the fight.

Remarkably, upon later having his heart re-examined, it was uncovered that his condition had been somewhat misdiagnosed, seemingly due to the morphine he’d been given following the loss.

Years later it was revealed that the chairman of the Nevada Commission’s medical advisory board believed the champion’s condition to be consistent with HGH (human growth hormone) use.

In the latter stages of his career, numerous allegations emerged linking Holyfield to steroid use.

He always outright denied using performance-enhancing drugs.

Regardless, with medical examinations passed, Holyfield returned to the ring only to be beaten by Bowe in their trilogy bout.

Tyson returned from prison and regained the WBA title before deciding to give Evander what was expected to be his final title shot.

With multiple defeats now on his record and question marks surrounding his health, Holyfield shocked the world by standing up to Tyson, bullying the bully and knocking him out in round eleven.

His mother’s decision to instil her son with the inability to quit proved crucial.

Victory over Tyson cemented Holyfield’s legacy and finally saw him win over any public approval that was somehow still lacking.

In their infamous rematch, Mike was disqualified for biting Evander’s ear out of frustration as the bout began to go the same way as their first meeting.

Holyfield was now hugely rich, a worldwide superstar and then stopped Moorer to avenge that defeat also.

His position on top of the world would once again not last though, as after a controversial draw in their first meeting, Lennox Lewis removed any doubts by beating Holyfield in their rematch.

The ‘Real Deal’ remarkably continued fighting for another 12 years and had his last contest in 2011, at the age of 48.

Sadly though, there were some more sinister reasons for this, other than just a refusal to quit.

At the height of his stardom, Holyfield splashed out on a 109-room mansion in his hometown of Atlanta – a monument to his success.

In 2008, financial difficulties saw the house on the verge of being auctioned off due to foreclosure. Rapper Rick Ross acquired it for $5.8million.

Three divorces had a sizeable impact on Holyfield’s wealth, with failed business ventures and child support payments to eleven children (by six different women) also taking their toll.

The former champion earned hundreds of millions across his career, but some reports claimed he’d lost pretty much all of it.

Thankfully, nowadays Holyfield is clearly in a better place financially and dreams of one day reclaiming his old home.

He’s even recently teased a potential ring return to stage exhibition bouts for charity, though it’s unclear whether or not this will come to fruition.

The Holyfield name is even now being carried forward by a couple of Evander’s eldest children.

One son Elijah, 22, is an American NFL running back for the Philadelphia Eagles.

Another son Evan, also 22, has started his professional boxing career at light-heavyweight with a record of 4-0.

As for his own boxing legacy, Evander was asked by the BBC in 2015 how he’d like to be remembered.

Holyfield simply replied: “The guy that fought ’em all, and did it the right way.”

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holyfield had a good little step back check hook.

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Evan Fields would not beat Michael Gerard Tyson in 1991. If Tyson did't go to jail, their fight would of been epic all time Great bout. Mike Iron Tyson would knocked out Evan Fields in round 6 , 7 or 8 and then beat Buster Douglass in the rematch in 1992. Then Tyson would be force to fight Lennox Louis by 1993 and still in his prime would of beat Louis. Then Tyson could of retired by 1994 after knock out Moorer aND MOrrison.

Boxing legends Mike Tyson, Lennox Lewis, Riddick Bowe and Michael Moorer all consider Evander Holyfield to be the greatest fighter they ever fought.


That is impressive when all those names chose him

I'd like to think one of his toughest was his 1st fight! They put him in with a dude that threw nonstop & good chin, fortunately for Holy Byarm was an arm puncher. Holy was told he was an easy fight, than after the contest he told his corner "Don't you give me no more easy fights like that!"

LOL!

When Holyfield won his first world title against Quawi in a gruelling 15 round split decision war he had to go to hospital after the fight due to exhaustion and dehydration. Evander said if that is what it took to win the title he was not going to last in the game. :)

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Originally Posted by Yuzo

holyfield had a good little step back check hook.

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Holyfield was a complete champion at cruiserweight, beautiful footwork, ideal balance, crips combinations, endless stamina, strong endurance, solid chin and heart of a lion. I was sure he was a robot or machine.

You could watch his fights all day.

I can't help putting an asterisk next to all his accolades and achievement, because he was a drug cheat :confused:

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Originally Posted by X

I can't help putting an asterisk next to all his accolades and achievement, because he was a drug cheat :confused:

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There will be a lot of asterisks on our favourte fighters then.

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Originally Posted by Master

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Originally Posted by X

I can't help putting an asterisk next to all his accolades and achievement, because he was a drug cheat :confused:

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There will be a lot of asterisks on our favourte fighters then.

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Word. I might as well not watch any sport then.

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Originally Posted by Master

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Originally Posted by X

I can't help putting an asterisk next to all his accolades and achievement, because he was a drug cheat :confused:

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There will be a lot of asterisks on our favourte fighters then.

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Probably find synchronized swimming had digital swimtrunks- stinging them when to turn!

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Originally Posted by Master

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Originally Posted by X

I can't help putting an asterisk next to all his accolades and achievement, because he was a drug cheat :confused:

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There will be a lot of asterisks on our favourte fighters then.

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Word. I might as well not watch any sport then.

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Best not to think of our heros like Shane, Roy and Toney took PED's.

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Originally Posted by Master

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Originally Posted by SlimTrae

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Originally Posted by Master

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Originally Posted by X

I can't help putting an asterisk next to all his accolades and achievement, because he was a drug cheat :confused:

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There will be a lot of asterisks on our favourte fighters then.

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Word. I might as well not watch any sport then.

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Best not to think of our heros like Shane, Roy and Toney took PED's.

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I'm glad I never have to think about my hero Rocky Marciano as taking any PEDs.

💪💪💪

Holyfield was about everything that got me hooked on boxing. His face first KO loss to Bowe III was the reason I stopped watching entirely for months ;D. Always fought the best and even a few of his second tier opponents, top form Cooper and Dokes, Ruiz :-X, Stewart would make some of todays hvys blush. Loved that Mercer fight with Ray at his best and forced to take a KD for first time ever. The left hook of Holyfield is one of the more seriously underrated weapons at that time. Always find a cruel irony in that from early on he was labeled a 'blown up' cruiserweight and for a guy who went toe to toe with a Foreman, Lewis, Bowe, Moorer, Tyson..all top notch hitters..it was James Toney who absolutely battered him the worst of all. I've also had a procedure done that permanently blocks any memory whatsoever of the Larry Donald and Vaughn Bean fights ;D. Oh and thought he beat the walking shag carpet Valuev for his trinket.

As it was once said before me while I waited for my turn in the barber's chair, Evander is a roughneck fighter who hit you hard enough to make you beg and when you fell it was acknowledgement of who the better fighter was. The old gent saw many fights in New York and the east coast and in his ninety plus years called himself a supreme fan and had some collection of fight tickets and programs in his valise. He said the only thing that spoiled his admiration of Holyfield was he seemed too nice to be a fighter. I met him fifteen years ago on his ninety second birthday and wished him many more. I forgot to ask him his name but sometimes it is more important to remember the person.

Holyfield might have been the best HW ever if he was 6' 5" and weighed about 240 lbs.

He is still a great HW who was able to hang with & beat the best behemoths, but his lack of size was his undoing against Bowe & probably against Lewis.

If he was the same size as those guys with exactly the same attributes, but with the increased physical strength that comes with being larger, I don't think those guys would have beaten him.

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Originally Posted by Master

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Originally Posted by SlimTrae

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Originally Posted by Master

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Originally Posted by X

I can't help putting an asterisk next to all his accolades and achievement, because he was a drug cheat :confused:

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There will be a lot of asterisks on our favourte fighters then.

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Word. I might as well not watch any sport then.

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Best not to think of our heros like Shane, Roy and Toney took PED's.

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I'm glad I never have to think about my hero Rocky Marciano as taking any PEDs.

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He took hoagies.

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Originally Posted by zoley

Evan Fields would not beat Michael Gerard Tyson in 1991. If Tyson did't go to jail, their fight would of been epic all time Great bout. Mike Iron Tyson would knocked out Evan Fields in round 6 , 7 or 8 and then beat Buster Douglass in the rematch in 1992. Then Tyson would be force to fight Lennox Louis by 1993 and still in his prime would of beat Louis. Then Tyson could of retired by 1994 after knock out Moorer aND MOrrison.

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I agree if they could just have kept his mentor and guide Cus De Mato alive in suspended animation he could have kept Tyson on the straight and narrow. Mike would have never joined Don King who robbed him of the millions of dollars he earned, married Givens who used him for her own needs, and left Kevin Rooney.

Mike would have been a stable individual who would never end up in prison and kept his boxing discipline. He would never have lost to Buster Douglas, beaten Holyfield in 1991, and then taken out Bowe, Lennox and others.

Hell I think he would have beaten the klitschko brothers and AJ to still be champion today with the most number of defences ever. We would be anticipating Mike Tyson v Tyson Fury next.

I think Mike Tyson would not beat anybody after 1993 Lennox Lewis, 1994 Tommy Morrison and only a match with George "Big" Foreman would be a question mark??

Holyfield was the winner but Mike Tyson was the crowd's favorite.

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Originally Posted by Master

REAL DEAL ‘Smart’ and ‘humble’ Evander Holyfield was like a ‘walking tiger’ in the ring, lauded by Mike Tyson and other legends as the best they ever faced.

Boxing legends Mike Tyson, Lennox Lewis, Riddick Bowe and Michael Moorer all consider Evander Holyfield to be the greatest fighter they ever fought.

For some reason, Holyfield’s name isn’t mentioned as much in the same conversations as Muhammad Ali, Joe Louis, and Tyson – but he’s right up there with the best ever.

Perhaps it’s his humble, quiet demeanor, or maybe because we remember him as the guy who had a chunk of his ear bitten off by Tyson in 1997.

Holyfield won both of his fights against Tyson in the 1990s. He beat Foreman and Larry Holmes, too.

The 57-year-old is the only four-time heavyweight champion in history, and the only boxer ever to win the undisputed championship in two weight classes.

As talk of a remarkable third fight against Tyson gathers pace, it’s no surprise that most of the spotlight has fallen on ‘Iron Mike’, being the character that he is.

But, there’s a reason why Holyfield was nicknamed ‘The Real Deal’. Here’s what some of the biggest names in heavyweight boxing had to say about him…

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Mike Tyson

For years, Tyson claimed he bit Holyfield in protest against relentless headbutting during both fights.

However, the world knew it was actually frustration at being outfought, and Tyson eventually admitted that to Oprah in 2009: “I was so pissed off that Holyfield was such a great fighter and wanted to desperately beat him.”

In a recent interview with Holyfield on his podcast ‘Hotboxin”, Tyson said: “He’s a good guy, I always knew he was a good guy. I want people to react and get in their heads, but he never reacted.

“He was an awesome counter-puncher. I’d say the best ever.

“I always wondered how he could be so good and so humble.”

And in an interview with Ring Magazine, Tyson described Holyfield as his best ever opponent. He said “Great champion: chin, heart, determination, work ethic, demeanor.”

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Lennox Lewis

Lewis was one of the few men to overcome Holyfield, although it took 24 brutal rounds.

Their first fight in 1999 was called a split-decision draw, before Lewis got the decision in the second bout, even though Holyfield still insists he won.

“People seem to be genuinely surprised when I tell them [Holyfield] was my toughest opponent, not to be confused with my toughest fight, which was [Ray] Mercer, but when you really dive into why that is, it actually makes a lot of sense,” the 54-year-old wrote on Instagram.

“Holyfield, like me, has an extensive amateur pedigree that has served him well throughout his professional career. He started boxing at eight years old and was an Olympic bronze medalist in 1984. Before he moved up to the heavyweight division, he’s a man that cleared out the cruiserweight division to become the undisputed champion, and arguably the best ever, in that weight class.

“That’s a lot of experience and it’s safe to say that by the time we met for the undisputed heavyweight championship in 1999, he had seen it all. When you combine Evander’s amateur and professional experience, you would be hard pressed not to see the kind of success he’s had in the ring.

“I may tease him a bit on our two fights, he knows I won both fights even though he won’t admit it, but in all seriousness, he’s the only man that has gone 24 rounds with me.”

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George Foreman

A 42-year-old Foreman was punching his way back to the top before he met Holyfield in 1991.

Nobody gave Foreman a chance against Holyfield in his prime, but he managed to go the distance before losing via unanimous decision.

Big George tweeted in 2017: “No one ever had as much heart, you hurt him you get 15 shots, like waking a Tiger.”

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Riddick Bowe

Bowe did something nobody else could manage and beat Holyfield TWICE during their epic trilogy of fights.

Holyfield considers Bowe his toughest ever opponent, and it turns out the feeling is mutual.

Bowe told Ring Magazine: “He was better than anyone I ever fought. He could think, he could match wits with you. Our fights were so good because he could match me in the thinking aspect. He was always in such great shape.

“He had the best defence, the best offence. I mean hands down he made you work. If you weren’t in shape, it wasn’t going to happen.

“I could shake Evander and he’d come back with four, five shots. And if you weren’t in shape, that’s when he was going to get you. He was always going to come back at you.

“Here’s a guy, you hit him with a left hook, he would keep his guard up, get close to you and turn his body. He was very smart in that aspect.

“Evander was smart, he was a thinker, he was in great shape, he had all the attributes to make him a great champion. That’s why he and I fought against each other so hard and so well.”

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Larry Holmes

One of the reasons Holyfield isn’t always included in conversations about the greatest ever is because he carried on too long.

Having suffered only three defeats between the age of 22 and 37, he lost three in a row when he was 40 and carried on until he was 48.

Speaking at the time, though, Holmes explains why Holyfield was able to continue deep into his forties.

He said: “Today’s fighters don’t have the dedication and the dicipline to come out and be a champion. That’s why Evander’s still fighting.

“You can’t blame them for fighting when there’s nothing out there. You can keep giving him opponents, he’s going to keep fighting and keep winning.

“These guys still need to learn how to fight, Evander is the only one I see with the discipline. He dedicates himself and still weighs the same thing he did ten years ago.”

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Michael Moorer

Moorer is the only other man, alongside Bowe, to beat Holyfield in his prime.

And like Bowe, Moorer has nothing but respect for ‘The Real Deal’.

He told Ring Magazine: “Every time he fought someone a second time, he was better, except maybe against Lennox Lewis.

“He was a student of the game and then he perfected it. I’ve always respected his smarts.

“I feel that Evander was the best that I faced, because he was always at his peak.

“When you are at your peak, you are always ready for everything and anything that is put before you. Evander always came ready.

“So I feel that he would have to be the best one that I fought, because he would always get himself in the best shape possible for any fight.

“He was always that guy. If he did not beat you the first time, he would beat you the second time.”

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Do you think Barry Bonds and Lance Armstrong were great too ?

I like Holyfield skills, attitude, heart, and toughness....but let's be honest: he probably had help. If he used anything it would have been HGH. He didn’t look like a steroid testosterone body. At 205-210 he looked like a more filled out version of himself at 190-195

But even if he didn't use PEDS to me he was the Tim Bradley of the heavyweights.

A fighter that would give all top fighters a good fight but you not be confident of him beating any top fighter.

He lost twice to Bowe. Foreman was in his 40's, Tyson was a good win but what else. He was also beat by Moorer who is a light heavyweight and James Toney used him as a punching bag. Beaten by John Ruiz and Valuev

Consider all these factors and make your own assessment. I think his most entertaining and competitive fights were not at heavy but at cruiser.

Another thing. He was boring. Meaning - He had no personality that's not really to knock him I suppose. But this is boxing and it helps if a fighter is interesting, funny or anything.....just something different that people can latch on to. Holyfield wasn't any of that.

If HBO 24-7 or Showtime Countdown programmes were around when Holyfield was fighting. They'd have struggled to make it captivating as it would've just been him praising GOD as if God has nothing better to do than to come down from the heavens and determine the outcome of a boxing match.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgNq5RCCvn8

I agree that Evander Holyfield was not an ATG heavyweight champion for the reasons you said he lost twice to Bowe, nearly knocked out by Bert Cooper, Tyson was a shell of the fighter he was after prison, losing to Moorer but he was old when James Toney, John Ruiz and Valuev beat him.

Evan Fields
All pumped up
Making deals
Head butting "pup";

7 wives
Praise the Lord
When he spoke
We were bored

Amen