The Doomed Comeback of Evander Holyfield
By Mike “Rubber Warrior” Plunkett
There’s an old, well known adage that tells us “you can never go home”. Boxing history is replete with a multitude of examples of old warriors, of varying levels of skill and acclaim, returning for one last shot at fleeting glory, if not youth itself. Is it any wonder that so often they fail? If anything, boxing demands “youth” and the fire, spirit and strength that comes with the peak years of a fighter, forget trying to climb an improbable precipice of ambition years beyond one’s best, against the bigger and far younger, that enjoy the high point of their careers.
At the advanced age of 48, Evander Holyfield is about to embark on yet another comeback campaign. The former four-time heavyweight king has repeatedly stated his goal of becoming the sports only five-time heavyweight king, indifferent to the many lessons boxing history has provided to the contrary. In today’s fragmented heavyweight environment, and with the four major alphabet organizations each having their own version of a heavyweight champion, Holyfield’s chance to accomplish this remote goal would seem to be far greater than what would have been the case, say, in 1957, when there was only one heavyweight champion.
Not coincidentally, there was another ancient great lurking about in heavyweight waters back in 1957. On his two previous tries at winning the sport’s most coveted prize, he was turned back by the vestiges of talented youth. Speed and sheer strength overcame experience and willingness when in with younger men who were naturally bigger, despite the oft-sheer brilliance of his fistic offerings. His name was Archie Moore, a much-revered virtual ring Methuselah inside the confines of the squared circle.
Like Moore during that period, Holyfield is trying to stay active facing journeymen, collecting incidental paydays and ensuring that his name is somewhat relevant by staying in the media spotlight. With each win Evander inches forward towards the illusory goal of that chance title opportunity. To date, he has managed to regain a semblance of his past form and capture a portion of the public’s faith with displays of technique and power, but against a level unlike that of the Klitschko’s or WBA heavyweight champion David Haye. In Archie Moore’s case, the quality varied based on assignment, but it must be noted that at that time Moore was still the recognized World light heavyweight champion, despite his setbacks at heavyweight. As such, his ability to raise his game to a world class level, and keep it there when it counted most cannot be disputed. The question here is can Holyfield raise his game to a world class level against one of today’s top ten contenders, enough to garner a ranking, let alone challenge the likes of a top-ten contender such as Eddie Chambers, Tomasz Adamek or one of the Klitschko’s?
Consider the unlikely comeback of “Big” George Foreman. Foreman had been out of action for a full decade and in that time had gained approximately 100 pounds. Over that span, he had become an ordained minister and committed his life and energies to his small church and its membership. Out of a desire to raise funds for a youth ministry, he embarked on an ill-advised comeback.
With a new look and a kinder, more amiable approach, Big George had managed to re-invent himself. He shed 60 pounds and embarked on three year-long tour of club shows and cable dates facing a series of no-hopers along with a generous helping of C and D-level journeymen. Although the years had stripped him of that once ferocious aura, he still had the heavy clubbing power of his youth, a vastly underrated left jab and a calmness and composure that he lacked during his first career during his prime. As time went on, he eventually regained his timing and positioned himself for a title shot, something nobody could have fathomed in 1987 when he first announced his return.
Ironically, that title shot came against a prime 28 year-old variant of Evander Holyfield. Holyfield rebuffed the 42 year-old convincingly, responding to Big George’s advances in their 1991 encounter with mobility, prudent application of combination punching and a solid work rate – the very assets greatly lacking in his arsenal today. Their championship match was a colorful example of youth being served.
History suggests that “The Real Deal” is very likely to fail in his attempt to win another major world title, even gets to the point where he is granted such an opportunity. At his very best as a heavyweight, his strengths were technique, mobility, work rate and stamina. If he didn’t outbox and outwork his opponent, he’d gut it out, often to the extreme pleasure of the crowd, and almost always certainly against a far bigger man. He never had George Foreman’s God-given, fight-stopping punching power or physical strength. His game was based on a completely different set of criteria. And his burning desire to win put it all together. The ravages of time have blunted his physical attributes. Father Time and mileage have left him a fraction of what he once was despite the immense pride and that burning desire to compete. In a very real way, he has become his most dangerous foe.
Today the heavyweight division is ruled by two talented behemoths and a gifted mouthpiece. Each has formidable boxing skills, and in the cases of Wladimir Klitschko, Ring Magazine’s recognized World heavyweight champion, a certain studied fluidity combined with legitimate knockout power. If given the chance, I cannot envision Evander simply laying down or quitting on his stool between rounds. He’ll approach today’s best with the memory and internal fire of his youth, but ultimately find that the bigger and younger champions have more skill, strength, speed and power. He’ll be hopelessly out-maneuvered and out-gunned. Before long, the two attributes he was lauded for years ago, will be exposed as lacking – his ability to absorb punishment and his stamina. As such, he will not be in the fight long enough to be able to truly compete, and likely suffer a devastating and potentially dangerous loss.
Today, when watching Evander embark on his ring walk or weigh-in with his still magnificent physique, it is strangely akin to a chance meeting with an old and long admired high school buddy. Despite the warm regard and glorious memories of days gone by, the sobering reality is that much water has passed under the bridge and that people change as they get older. What worked then doesn’t necessarily work or fit now. The desire to turn back the clock and once again recapture what once was won’t work. You simply cannot go home again, and in boxing that axiom applies just as much in the ring as it ever does in the real world, but on a much more harsh and emphatic scale.
I wish Evander would pick-up on that, and leave well enough alone. He was one of the greatest heavyweights ever and in my books an all-time great fighter, but he belongs to a different era, one that ended long ago.