Evander Holyfield: Still on a Boxing Mission
Exclusive Interview by Mike “Rubber Warrior” Plunkett
“Without my faith I would have never became the fighter that I am, just by God’s grace I became the fighter I am”. – Evander Holyfield
A lot of years have passed since I watched Evander Holyfield make his professional debut as a sleek light heavyweight. Sharing the card with him were fellow ’84 Olympians Meldrick Taylor, Pernell Whitaker and Mark Breland, and while each of them either demonstrated something extraordinary or went into it with a notable reputation, it was Holyfield that caught my eye with his aggression and intensity. Much has happened since that first glimpse; winning the WBA cruiserweight title in a war for the ages, unification of the cruiserweight titles, the victory over Buster Douglas for the Undisputed Heavyweight Championship and beyond that a decade-long roller coaster ride that would culminate in three additional heavyweight title wins.
The old saying goes that they don’t make them like they used to, and to a large extent that may be true, but in the case of Evander Holyfield boxing history shows us that he was the first; to make history and break records at both cruiserweight and heavyweight, proving beyond a doubt to be The Real Deal. Amazingly, he is still with us today in pursuit of one last glorious moment among the big men of the sport, and at an age that would make Archie Moore blush. Having followed boxing closely since Ali and Frazier left the better part of themselves in another part of the world, it was truly a dream come true and a distinct honor to represent RSR to sit and speak with the former undisputed cruiserweight and four-time heavyweight champion, about his career accomplishments and ambition to once again rock the history books.
MP: You recently had a fight with Sherman Williams canceled and now there is a rumor you may face Brian Neilsen over in Denmark in March. What cans your expect from “The Real Deal” in the next few months?
Well you know, I’ll be out there doing my very best and people look upon me and ask if I still have it, like I believe I do.
MP: You’ve always been up front about your goal to once again become the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world. Two years ago you looked to have secured the WBA heavyweight title, out boxing then-champ Nikolay Valuev. How did the 7ft Russian compare to some of your past foes?
It was quite different fighting somebody that tall and that heavy, but other than that the game is technique, fast hands, in and out. I was able to do that so I felt that I accomplished my goal but unfortunately the judges didn’t judge it that way.
MP: Looking at today’s heavyweight landscape, of the three current champions, Wladimir Klitschko, Vitali Klitschko and David Haye, which do you feel would be the best match-up for you style-wise and would you go abroad to make such a fight happen?
I’m willing to do within reason, to really make that happen but styles, I think one of the Klitschko brothers, the younger one…I think his style is more suited for me than the other two fighters.
MP: Is there any weakness in particular that you see that you feel you could exploit to your advantage?
Not so much a weakness, it’s just that I fight aggressive fighters better than I do fighters that tend to wait on you. I’m usually not good against the ones that aren’t aggressors. The ones that are aggressive I tend to fare better. The younger Klitschko does hold back but he also does step it up at points and I’d be there for him.
MP: You are rated as the greatest cruiserweight of all time, after that becoming a four-time heavyweight champion. Not only did you solidify your stance as one of the greatest heavyweights of all-time, you are in fact a bridge to heavyweight history, having faced James “Buster” Douglas, George Foreman, Larry Holmes, Mike Tyson, Riddick Bowe, Lennox Lewis and Michael Moorer at different stages of your career. Stylistically, which one of them presented you with the most problems?
Lennox Lewis, he’s not just a big guy, he wasn’t aggressive and he was so patient, he fought at a different pace. When a guy is patient, got long arms and have the skills, it’s difficult because there’s so many shots he can hit you with being that you got to lead off first. Then he’s strong enough to hold you if you get too close and it keeps you from fighting. So it’s an uphill battle.
MP: Do you feel that today’s best heavyweights, the Klitschko’s or David Haye compare?
Styles make fights and of course the Klitschko’s they have proven to be just as good as some of those past fighters because it actually takes a good fighter, the brains, the skill, a lot of the time you don’t see all the skill they have until they fight somebody who is just as skillful as them and challenges them. I think that maybe in a lot of situations that’s what’s going on with the Klitschko’s. They are just so much better than other heavyweights today, so if you don’t have to throw a lot of combinations, you don’t. But if you fight somebody who throws a lot of combinations and they challenge you and are there, you got to fight them back that way or you gonna find yourself losing the fight. So at this point in time they have nobody to challenge them in those areas.
MP: Looking back, what was your best performance?
It’s hard to say because I won a lot of bouts and I had to do what it takes to win them. Looking at tapes, I think my fight with Dwight Muhammad Qawi was probably one of my better ones because in my 12th professional fight I had to go fifteen rounds with a guy who just wouldn’t stop and I won the cruiserweight title. Then I would say my second fight with Riddick Bowe when I won back the heavyweight title. After that the third match could have been the Michael Dokes fight. The fourth could have been Lennox Lewis in the rematch and last the second fight with Michael Moorer. The fight, whether it was my best fight or not, but the most thrilling one, was the first Tyson fight.
MP: A friend of mine that happens to be a big fan of yours asked me to pose this question; one fight from the 90’s that never happened but would have been a terrific match-up would have been a bout with Donovan “Razor” Ruddock. Today Ruddock is looked back upon as a terrifically talented, dangerous and compelling heavyweight. Looking back, did you see any weaknesses in him and how would you have approached him as an opponent?
With Razor Ruddock, he was a hard puncher, a hard hitter with quick reflexes. But the fact of the matter was that he didn’t throw combinations. So I never thought he would have been a dangerous fighter to me because he’d throw two punches and that’s it; he’s strong of course, he was a fighter that could pretty much end a fight cause he hit just that hard. Of course, he showed that he did take good shots because he did fight Mike Tyson, but you know, I think a boxer, he would really have problems with a guy that had the skills I had, or Lennox Lewis or Riddick Bowe. Riddick and Lennox got to be the two most talented big guys that a person could probably fight.
MP: The much anticipated super fight between Riddick Bowe and Lennox Lewis never happened. You faced them both. In your estimation who would have won that bout?
Well, you know at one point in time I thought Bowe. When Bowe fought me he beat me and I was just surprised Bowe wouldn’t fight him then ‘cause that Bowe right there could probably beat anybody. But you know with Lennox you are talking about two different fighters. I think at that time, if Bowe would have fought him, Bowe’s chances of beating him would have been great. But the Lennox Lewis who went to Manny Steward, he became a totally different fighter, a whole ‘nother level type of fighter. It wasn’t the same Lennox Lewis. He’d potshot and body punch. He became more of a complete fighter when he met up with Manny Steward.
MP: You’ve been extremely up front about your faith, always taking the time to thank God after a win. Does your sense of self belief have its roots in your faith?
Well yes. Without that I wouldn’t have the courage to take chances that I’ve taken fighting different fighters, fighting the best. You know what? Because I had faith in God, I just truly believe that God is on my side, and I understood what faith was and I realized where I came from. Without my faith I would have never became the fighter that I am, just by God’s grace I became the fighter I am. There are just too many people who I’ve seen, or appear to be better than me, but I went farther. I worked hard, but with my faith and my confidence and knowing everything will be alright, it wasn’t about winning or losing, it was about giving your best. And by me not knowing what my best was, it allowed me to keep pushing. I’d push myself farther and farther and farther, and I was able to get out what a lot of people thought I’d never be able to get out of myself.
MP: Is there anything you would like to say to your fans?
I guess in one sense or another I’ve accomplished a lot of things and now I’m getting ready to accomplish something else because people tend to think that I’m foolish to think that at 48 years-old I could still be the Heavyweight Champion, or 49, be the Champion. I believe that I can and I believe that I will.
Evander Holyfield
Nickname: “The Real Deal”
Division: Heavyweight
Professional Record: 43-10-2, 28 KO’s
Date Opponent W-L-D Location Result
1984-11-15 Lionel Byarm 9-1-2 New York, US W UD 6
1985-01-20 Eric Winbush 14-8-0 Atlantic City, US W UD 6
1985-03-13 Fred Brown 20-35-2 Norfolk, US W TKO 1
1985-04-20 Mark Rivera 12-1-0 Corpus Christi, US W TKO 2
1985-07-20 Tyrone Booze 10-3-2 Norfolk, US W UD 8
1985-08-29 Rick Myers 7-11-1 Atlanta, US W TKO 1
1985-10-30 Jeff Meachem 4-1-0 Atlantic City, US W TKO 5
1985-12-21 Anthony Davis 17-3-0 Virginia Beach, US W TKO 4
1986-03-01 Chisanda Mutti 21-5-2 Lancaster, US W TKO 3
1986-04-06 Jesse Shelby 12-2-1 Corpus Christi, US W KO 3
1986-05-28 Terry Mims 12-11-0 Metairie, US W KO 5
1986-07-12 Dwight Muhammad Qawi 26-2-1 Atlanta, US W SD 15
WBA World Cruiserweight Title
1986-12-08 Mike Brothers 15-4-0 Paris, FR W TKO 3
1987-02-14 Henry Tillman 14-1-0 Reno, US W TKO 7
WBA World Cruiserweight Title
1987-05-15 Ricky Parkey 20-4-0 Las Vegas, US W TKO 3
WBA World Cruiserweight Title
IBF Cruiserweight Title
1987-08-15 Ossie Ocasio 21-4-1 Saint-Tropez, FR W TKO 11
WBA World Cruiserweight Title
IBF Cruiserweight Title
1987-12-05 Dwight Muhammad Qawi 28-4-1 Atlantic City, US W KO 4
WBA World Cruiserweight Title
IBF Cruiserweight Title
1988-04-09 Carlos De Leon 43-4-0 Las Vegas, US W TKO 8
WBC Cruiserweight Title
WBA World Cruiserweight Title
IBF Cruiserweight Title
1988-07-16 James Tillis 38-13-1 Stateline, US W RTD 5
1988-12-09 Pinklon Thomas 29-2-1 Atlantic City, US W RTD 7
1989-03-11 Michael Dokes 37-1-2 Las Vegas, US W TKO 10
WBC Continental Americas Heavyweight Title
1989-07-15 Adilson Rodrigues 35-2-0 Stateline, US W KO 2
WBC Continental Americas Heavyweight Title
1989-11-04 Alex Stewart 24-0-0 Atlantic City, US W TKO 8
WBC Continental Americas Heavyweight Title
1990-06-01 Seamus McDonagh 19-1-1 Atlantic City, US W TKO 4
WBC Continental Americas Heavyweight Title
1990-10-25 James Buster Douglas 30-4-1 Las Vegas, US W KO 3
WBC Heavyweight Title
WBA World Heavyweight Title
IBF Heavyweight Title
1991-04-19 George Foreman 69-2-0 Atlantic City, US W UD 12
WBC Heavyweight Title
WBA World Heavyweight Title
IBF Heavyweight Title
1991-11-23 Bert Cooper 26-7-0 Atlanta, US W TKO 7
WBA World Heavyweight Title
IBF Heavyweight Title
1992-06-19 Larry Holmes 54-3-0 Las Vegas, US W UD 12
WBC Heavyweight Title
WBA World Heavyweight Title
IBF Heavyweight Title
1992-11-13 Riddick Bowe 31-0-0 Las Vegas, US L UD 12
WBC Heavyweight Title
WBA World Heavyweight Title
IBF Heavyweight Title
1993-06-26 Alex Stewart 32-4-0 Atlantic City, US W UD 12
1993-11-06 Riddick Bowe 34-0-0 Las Vegas, US W MD 12
WBA World Heavyweight Title
IBF Heavyweight Title
1994-04-22 Michael Moorer 34-0-0 Las Vegas, US L MD 12
WBA World Heavyweight Title
IBF Heavyweight Title
1995-05-20 Ray Mercer 23-2-1 Atlantic City, US W UD 10
1995-11-04 Riddick Bowe 37-1-0 Las Vegas, US L TKO 8
1996-05-10 Bobby Czyz 44-6-0 New York, US W RTD 5
1996-11-09 Mike Tyson 45-1-0 Las Vegas, US W TKO 11
WBA World Heavyweight Title
1997-06-28 Mike Tyson 45-2-0 Las Vegas, US W DQ 3
WBA World Heavyweight Title
1997-11-08 Michael Moorer 39-1-0 Las Vegas, US W RTD 8
WBA World Heavyweight Title
IBF Heavyweight Title
1998-09-19 Vaughn Bean 31-1-0 Atlanta, US W UD 12
WBA World Heavyweight Title
IBF Heavyweight Title
1999-03-13 Lennox Lewis 34-1-0 New York, US D SD 12
WBC Heavyweight Title
WBA World Heavyweight Title
IBF Heavyweight Title
1999-11-13 Lennox Lewis 34-1-1 Las Vegas, US L UD 12
WBC Heavyweight Title
WBA World Heavyweight Title
IBF Heavyweight Title
vacant International Boxing Organization Heavyweight Title
2000-08-12 John Ruiz 36-3-0 Las Vegas, US W UD 12
vacant WBA World Heavyweight Title
2001-03-03 John Ruiz 36-4-0 Las Vegas, US L UD 12
WBA World Heavyweight Title
2001-12-15 John Ruiz 37-4-0 Mashantucket, US D SD 12
WBA World Heavyweight Title
2002-06-01 Hasim Rahman 35-3-0 Atlantic City, US W TD 8
2002-12-14 Chris Byrd 35-2-0 Atlantic City, US L UD 12
vacant IBF Heavyweight Title
2003-10-04 James Toney 66-4-2 Las Vegas, US L TKO 9
2004-11-13 Larry Donald 41-3-2 New York, US L UD 12
2006-08-18 Jeremy Bates 21-11-1 Dallas, US W TKO 2
2006-11-10 Fres Oquendo 26-3-0 San Antonio, US W UD 12
vacant USBA Heavyweight Title
2007-03-17 Vinny Maddalone 27-3-0 Corpus Christi, US W TKO 3
2007-06-30 Lou Savarese 46-6-0 El Paso, US W UD 10
2007-10-13 Sultan Ibragimov 21-0-1 Moscow, RU L UD 12
WBO Heavyweight Title
2008-12-20 Nikolay Valuev 49-1-0 Zurich, CH L MD 12
WBA World Heavyweight Title
2010-04-10 Francois Botha 47-4-3 Las Vegas, US W TKO 8
vacant World Boxing Federation Heavyweight Title
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