Tag Archives: Evander Holyfield
Mike Tyson: “Evander F*cked Up The Money, We Gotta Do It With Lennox [Lewis] Now”
By: Hans Themistode
Cha-Ching was all Mike Tyson could hear.
The former undisputed heavyweight champion of the world was extremely hopeful that a showdown between himself and long-time rival Evander Holyfield could come to fruition. Having shared the ring with one another on two occasions, the pair have generated an excess of 3.5 million pay-per-view buys.
Despite the truckload of money that both were expected to make for a third meeting, after witnessing Holyfield suffer a brutal first-round knockout defeat at the hands of Vitor Belfort just a few weeks ago, Tyson now believes that ship has sailed.
“Evander f*cked up the money,” said Tyson during an interview with ESNEWS.
On September 11th, at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida, Tyson was disappointed with what took place. On the night, 58-year-old Holyfield stepped in on just a few week’s notice to take on the former UFC star, Vitor Belfort. Originally, Oscar De La Hoya was expected to face the one-time light heavyweight champion but was forced to withdraw due to testing positive for COVID-19.
While Holyfield is considered one of the greatest fighters in boxing history, at 58, he’s now a shell of his former great self. Now, with Holyfield out of the picture, Tyson will turn to another foe he shared the ring with nearly two decades ago.
“We gotta do it with Lennox [Lewis] now.”
Much like Tyson’s two defeats to Holyfield, Tyson was also brutally knocked out during his 2002 meeting with Lewis. After a fairly even first few rounds, Lewis took over down the stretch before scoring the knockout win in the eighth round to retain his WBC, IBF, and IBO heavyweight titles.
While it’s unclear if the pair will share the ring once more, Tyson officially has the itch to continue his boxing career. At least, from an exhibition standpoint.
On November 28th, 2020, at Staples Center in Los Angeles California, Tyson took on fellow legend Roy Jones Jr. in an eight-round exhibition. The two would ultimately end their showdown with a split decision draw.
With his adrenaline now pumping, Tyson simply can’t wait to swap fists with someone else in the ring sometime soon.
“I want to fight. I need another one.”
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Evander Holyfield Vs. Vitor Belfort Officially Set As Full Blown Boxing Match
By: Hans Themistode
Originally, it seemed unlikely bordering on impossible.
With Oscar De La Hoya forced to withdraw from his showdown against Vitor Belfort due to the former six-division world champion testing positive for COVID-19, the entire card appeared destined to be scrapped.
Yet, with Evander Holyfield happily stepping in to save the show, public outrage has immediately occurred. To add fire to the flames, not only is Holyfield set to return to the ring after spending a decade away from it but at the age of 58, his showdown against Belfort has officially been sanctioned by the Florida State Boxing Commission as a full-blown boxing match.
According to Patrick Cunningham, Executive Director of the commission, both boxers have met all requirements necessary and have been granted a boxing license. Originally, their contest was set to take place as an exhibition. Now, Holyfield will be allowed the opportunity to add the 45 win to his Hall of Fame career.
Both Belfort and Holyfield will take place in the main event slot at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida. Despite the authenticity of their contest, the pair will have eight, two-minute rounds to work with, as opposed to the customary three-minute rounds in men’s boxing.
Several decades ago, Holyfield carved out one of the greatest careers in boxing history, winning multiple world titles in both the cruiserweight and heavyweight divisions. Most recently, Holyfield decided to hang up his gloves after a tenth-round stoppage win over Brian Nielsen in 2011.
As Holyfield walked through the ropes during a recent open workout, the Atlanta native showed his age. He was visibly slower in letting his hands go but has continued to work diligently towards his comeback.
While Belfort may have built his name and reputation in the UFC’s octagon, the Brazilian native isn’t entirely a newbie boxer. In 2006, Belfort made his sole appearance in the ring, scoring a first-round stoppage win against Josemario Neves.
Also set to make an appearance on the card will be fellow former UFC fighters, Tito Ortiz and Anderson Silva. In addition to that, former two-division champion David Haye, will end his three-year retirement to take on good friend, Joe Fournier.
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Oscar De La Hoya Tests Positive For COVID-19, No Longer Facing Vitor Belfort, Evander Holyfield Steps In
By: Hans Themistode
Oscar De La Hoya did everything in his power to get himself ready to make a return to the ring.
The former six-division world champion agreed to end his retirement, which spanned over a dozen years, to take on former UFC Champion, Vitor Belfort. The two were officially set to face off on September 11th, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California.
Recently, during an open workout, De La Hoya revealed a chiseled physique and appeared to be in terrific shape. With only a few days left until his ring return, however, De La Hoya was hit with an immediate gut punch as he tested positive for COVID-19.
While Belfort was hoping to take on De La Hoya in just over a week, the 44-year-old will now take on an opponent much closer to his size. With the news of De La Hoya being forced to the sidelines, former cruiserweight and heavyweight champion, Evander Holyfield, has agreed to step in.
Although Holyfield is said to be ready, willing, and able to take on Belfort, the 2015 Hall of Famer will now hope that both he and Belfort are approved by the California State Athletic Commission. If, for some reason, their contest is not approved, the pair could move their showdown to Florida instead.
For Holyfield, at the age of 58, the former multiple-time heavyweight belt holder had long been hoping to step into the ring after spending a decade away from it. Originally, Holyfield was set to take on Kevin McBride in an exhibition matchup on the undercard of unified lightweight titlist Teofimo Lopez and his mandatory showdown against George Kambosos Jr. Yet, with their contest postponed on several occasions, Holyfield vs. McBride fell by the wayside.
With Holyfield now getting his chance to return to the ring, his showdown against Belfort will reportedly take place as a full-blown boxing match, as opposed to an exhibition.
The last time Holyfield was seen in the ring, he pummeled journeymen Brian Nielsen via 10th round stoppage before ultimately deciding to pull the curtains down on his career.
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Evander Holyfield Set For Exhibition Against Kevin McBride As Co-Main Event To Teofimo Lopez vs George Kambosos Jr. On June 5th
By: Hans Themistode
For months now, former heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield whipped his 58-year-old body into fighting shape. The 2017 Hall of Fame inductee pursued a third showdown with long-time rival Mike Tyson.
While both sides were hopeful that a deal could be reached, neither could come to an agreement from a financial standpoint. Still, Holyfield continued to train and now, he’ll get his chance to return to the ring. Albeit against an opponent he wasn’t originally expecting.
Former heavyweight contender, Kevin McBride at the age of 47, has decided to end his own decade long retirement to face Holyfield in the ring on Triller pay-per-view. Ryan Kavanaugh, owner of Triller, desperately wanted to match Holyfield with Tyson instead but after surveying the landscape, he’s come to the conclusion that McBride could be the better opponent after all.
“We went through all the heavyweights,” said Kavanaugh during an interview with BoxingScene.com. “Ultimately, who better than the guy who knocked Mike Tyson into retirement.”
Holyfield vs McBride is set to be the co-main event to undisputed lightweight champion Teofimo Lopez against mandatory challenger George Kambosos Jr. on June 5th.
Amongst the several names that were floated in the direction of Holyfield, were reportedly Roy Jones Jr. and Shannon Briggs.
For McBride, as previously mentioned by Kavanaugh, his biggest career win came a long-faded Mike Tyson in 2005. The unmotivated former champion stated on the night that he was no longer into the sport that he grew up loving. He also subsequently announced his retirement. While McBride was hoping that the win over Tyson would propel his career to new heights, he would win only two of his next eight contests and was brutally knocked out against Mariusz Wach in July of 2011, his last ring appearance.
Ironically enough, Holyfield would also make his last ring appearance two months earlier. However, in his case, he would end his career on a high note, stopping Brian Nielsen in the tenth-round.
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Mike Tyson Wants Evander Holyfield and Lennox Lewis This Year Or An Exhibition Against Tyson Fury
By: Hans Themistode
Mike Tyson still has a bit of revenge on his mind.
In back-to-back bouts against Evander Holyfield in the mid-1990s, Tyson was heavily favored to win both contests. Those who backed the former undisputed heavyweight champion to come out victorious, however, were left disappointed as Holyfield would walk away the winner via stoppage in the 11th round in their first contest and disqualification in their second due to Tyson biting the ear of Holyfield on several occasions.
After picking up the pieces and moving on, Tyson reeled off several knockout victories in a row which propelled him to a contest against Lennox Lewis in 2002. Tyson would go to lose that contest via eighth-round knockout.
Now, roughly 20-25 years later, Tyson not only wants to run things back, but he wants to do so in the coming months.
“I want Holyfield and I want Lennox Lewis this year,” Tyson said on his Hotboxing podcast. “I want both of them, I think I can get em both this year”
Over the past few months, Tyson has worked diligently on the first part of his master plan. The 2011 Hall of Famer has engaged in negotiations with team Holyfield in an attempt to bring a third showdown to reality. At the moment though, things appear headed in the wrong direction as both sides seemingly can’t agree on the financial part of the deal.
Be that as it may, Tyson appears determined to not only get his hands on Holyfield this year but also Lewis. With Tyson enjoying a lucrative second act in his boxing career, the all-time great continues to pursue big names to jump in the ring with him in an exhibition match.
In November of 2020, Tyson took on future Hall of Famer Roy Jones Jr., faced off in an exhibition contest that piqued the interest of the boxing world. The event sold for $49.99 apiece and reportedly did 1.6 million buys which generated an excess of $80 million dollars.
With Tyson proving that he is still a draw, outselling Canelo Alvarez and Errol Spence Jr. combined last year, he believes he’s found his new niche. Although the goal is to lure both Holyfield and Lewis into the ring, if he ultimately can’t work out a deal, he still has other plans in mind.
“I (can) box an exhibition with Tyson Fury. If I do that — even if I can get those two guys, I’ll say this is a wrap, I can go and live my life. And that’s just exhibitions. I’m going to break all my true records with exhibitions.”
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Mike Tyson vs Evander Holyfield Reportedly Off…..Again
By: Hans Themistode
First, they were on, then they were off – then they were on and now, they are apparently back off.
Recently, former undisputed heavyweight champion Mike Tyson revealed that a third showdown with long-time rival Evander Holyfield was essentially set in stone.
“I just want everybody to know, the fight is on with me and Holyfield,” said Tyson during an interview with Haute Living.
With Holyfield officially holding the edge 2-0 due to back-to-back wins over Tyson in the mid-90s, the 2011 Hall of Famer appeared confident as ever that things will turn in his favor this time around.
“Holyfield is a humble man. I know that he’s a man of God but I’m God’s man. I’m going to be successful May 29th.”
But while fans of Tyson immediately rejoiced, their excitement will be short-lived. According to a report from TMZ, a rep from Tyson’s camp shot down any hope that a matchup between the pair will actually take place.
In regards to Tyson’s comments, the former champ reportedly misspoke. At the moment, a deal is far from happening. While it isn’t out of the realm of possibility, the rep showed no faith in both sides coming to an actual agreement.
The biggest hold-up in their negotiations stems from dollar signs. Holyfield alleges that both he and Tyson agreed to a 50/50 split as early as last year. Fast forward to today, however, and the pair are far apart financially.
Earlier this week, manager of Holyfield in Kris Lawrence stated that Tyson was offered 25 million dollars to step into the ring Holyfield. Yet, those numbers were reportedly turned down.
“We thought this was a done deal but it quickly fell apart when Tyson’s people declined all offers,” said Lawrence. “We were negotiating in good faith all along and it appears we just ended up wasting our time.”
Despite the up and down negotiations, Tyson is still reportedly returning to the ring on May 29th. Against whom and where exactly, is an open-ended question.
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Mike Tyson: “I Just Want Everybody To Know, The Fight Is On With Me And Holyfield”
By: Hans Themistode
With numerous reports surfacing that former undisputed heavyweight champion Mike Tyson turned down a 25 million dollars offer to face his long-time rival Evander Holyfield, Tyson has decided to put an end to those erroneous statements.
“I just want everybody to know, the fight is on with me and Holyfield,” said Tyson during an interview with Haute Living.
Tyson and Holyfield have been linked to one another for roughly three decades. When both were at the peak of their powers, in the early 1990s, a matchup between the pair was all but done. The one hurdle that stood between them was fringe contender James “Buster” Douglas. With Douglas going on to create arguably the greatest upset in boxing history by stopping Tyson in the seventh round in 1990, Tyson vs Holyfield fell by the wayside.
They would eventually rekindle their rivalry six years later. But while most of the boxing world believed Tyson would be too much, Holyfield proved his critics wrong by scoring back-to-back wins over his man.
As Tyson began dusting off his boxing gloves recently, the 2011 Hall of Famer decided that he would end his retirement, which began in 2005, to return to the ring for a series of exhibitions. First up on his docket, was future Hall of Famer Roy Jones Jr. The two met in the main event slot on streaming app Triller.
While their contest officially ended in a draw, Tyson, 54, revealed that he never intended to hurt Jones Jr. With that said, Tyson also disclosed that in his next contest, he planned on going “all out.”
With two wins in his back pocket against Tyson already to his name, Holyfield, 58, began urging his former rival to take him on the ring.
“Yes, I want to fight Mike Tyson,” said Holyfield during an interview with Fiaz Rafiq and Richard Forrester of The Sun several months ago. “I can definitely handle him.”
For Tyson, he has grown fond of Holyfield over the last few years. Both men have been seen making the rounds at special events and television shows.
Despite the reverence Tyson shares for him, however, he will put all of that to the side as he believes the third time will be the charm.
“Holyfield is a humble man. I know that he’s a man of God but I’m God’s man. I’m going to be successful May 29th.”
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Evander Holyfield on Mike Tyson: “I Can Definitely Handle Him”
By: Hans Themistode
It turns out that when there’s smoke, there is in fact fire. Such is the case when it comes to two boxing legends in Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield.
Tyson set the social media world on fire when he posted a short clip of himself hitting the pads on his Twitter account. The youngest Heavyweight champion of all time was always known for his speed and power but no one was expecting the now 53 year old Tyson to look nearly the same. Those who stopped to take a glance at the clip were left shocked as Tyson looked incredible. The speed and power were still there. Diminished to a certain extent, but there nevertheless.
After Tyson posted a second clip, this one even longer, he concluded by telling the world exactly what they wanted to hear, “I’m back.”
Not wanting to be left out, Holyfield dropped a video of his own.
The comeback of both fighters were met with an ambivalent bag of reactions. Concerns over their health immediately popped up, while others could care less about their safety and instead were more interested in what they could possibly do in the ring.
Both hall of famers made sure to preference their comments by stating that they simply wanted to take part in a few exhibitions to help others. But with the sports world starving for entertainment due to COVID-19 the rumblings of a possible grudge match between them soon followed.
By looks of the video, Tyson seems to be in better shape than Holyfield but with two wins under his belt against him in the 90s, Holyfield holds the mental edge. Even at 53, not many fighters are jumping at the opportunity to face Tyson, but the man once nicknamed “The Real Deal” isn’t backing down from the challenge. In fact, he’s embracing it.
“I would do that! Yes, I want to fight Mike Tyson. My whole thing is I’m open. I know that I want to do well for myself at age 57. I can definitely handle him. But Mike would have to want to do it as well,” Holyfield told The Sun.
“We have to come up with something that is not a knockout grudge match. It’s not about who can beat who, but to show people we were some of the greatest fighters in our era and we’ve come together as men to do something for others. I don’t have anything against Mike personally. The thing is I think it would be good for the sport. Even though boxing is a rough sport, we can show people we can come together.”
Looks can always be deceiving in the case of Holyfield. At 6 feet 2 inches and barely cracking 200 pounds on the scale, the former undisputed Cruiserweight champion was thought to be much too small for the land of the heavies. He not only proved his doubters wrong to become a multiple time champion, but he is widely regarded as one of the best fighters across any era. From the look of his freshly posted video though, the 57 year old Holyfield looks to be far removed from his prime, but doubt him if you want. He still believes he’s got more than enough.
“If we do this fight it would be great. I can still shoot the jab, I can still shoot the shots, but not like a killing thing, [not like] ‘I’m going to hurt you I’m going to show you that I can knock him out.’ Mike is looking sharp, but I’m in very good condition and shape, physically and mentally. And if the money is right, too, then let’s get it on.”
“I know he’s getting offers from all types of people. Since we have both announced a comeback, a fight between me and Mike would definitely be the fight people want to see.”
