Evander Holyfield returns to the ring approaching his sixties next month as “The Real Deal” battles former Mike Tyson conqueror Kevin McBride.
The two-weight undisputed champion defeated Tyson himself twice, once during the infamous “Bite Fight” in 1997.
Firstly, Holyfield is the only professional fighter to win the heavyweight championship four separate times, surpassing the record of Muhammad Ali, who won it three times.
After a standout amateur and Olympic boxing career, Holyfield turned professional. In 1986 he won the junior heavyweight title by upsetting World Boxing Association (WBA) champion Dwight Muhammad Qawi in a 15-round split decision.
In April 1988, with an eighth-round knockout of Carlos DeLeon, Holyfield became boxing’s first undisputed cruiserweight champion. Three months later, he fought his first heavyweight bout, knocking out James Tillis in five rounds.
On October 25, 1990, he scored a third-round knockout of James “Buster” Douglas to win the undisputed heavyweight title of the WBA, the World Boxing Council (WBC), and the International Boxing Federation (IBF).
After successful defenses against former champions George Foreman and Larry Holmes, Holyfield lost the title on November 13, 1992, dropping a 12-round decision to Riddick Bowe.
A rematch with Bowe one year later, he recaptured the WBA and IBF titles in another decision.
Holyfield met heavyweight champion Mike Tyson in a much-anticipated WBA bout on November 9, 1996, scoring a TKO in the 11th round, becoming the heavyweight champion for the third time.
WBC
EVANDER HOLYFIELD HALL of FAME
Holyfield regained the IBF title by knocking out Michael Moorer in the eighth round of their November 8, 1997 rematch.
Fighting Lennox Lewis twice, once in a controversial draw and defeated in the other, Holyfield regained the heavyweight crown for the final time nine months later.
“The Quiet Man” John Ruiz was beaten in March 2001 by Holyfield in the first of three contests between the pair.
He retired in 2014 despite not competing for three years with 44 wins (29 by knockout), ten losses, and two draws.
Holyfield got inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2017.
Now, four years later and at the age of 58, Holyfield makes an astonishing comeback to action on Triller. It comes a decade on from his last fight.
A future trilogy with Tyson or Lewis is possible if Holyfield can carry on after the summer.