By Jason Kim: 48-year-old Evander Holyfield (43-10-2, 28 KO’s) is still fighting after an incredible 26-years as a professional fighter. He’s sticking around because he has a goal of capturing all four of the world heavyweight titles before he retires. This has been Holyfield’s impossible goal for some time now, and it doesn’t appear that he’s getting any closer to accomplishing it. Indeed, Holyfield is looking worse and worse as the years go by. Currently, Holyfield has lost two out of his last three fights and at this point, he’s probably going to have to work his way into a heavyweight title shot the hard way by actually beating some top contenders. Since that seems to be all but impossible, I’m wondering if Holyfield would wrap up his fading career if all the sanctioning bodies agree to give him a honorary heavyweight title so that he could ride away into the sunset with these titles in his possession.
They would actually be doing Holyfield a big favor by doing so, because they would save him from taking any more needless punishment in the ring. At 48, the last thing Holyfield needs is to be getting hit by the younger heavyweights in the division and risking permanent damage. Holyfield is likely looking at what George Foreman accomplished in becoming a heavyweight champion late in his career in his 40s. However, Foreman had some big advantages going for him that Holyfield doesn’t have, namely huge size at 6’4″ 250, and monstrous power. Holyfield, in contrast, is only 6’2″ 220, and not a big enough puncher to take out the top heavyweights in the division like Foreman did with his win over Michael Moorer.
Holyfield has been given three heavyweight title shots in the past eight years and has lost in every one of them. Holyfield really didn’t have to work for those shots and appeared to get them based on his name rather than having beaten anyone. I don’t think Holyfield will be getting anymore of those kinds of shots unless WBA heavyweight champion David Haye decides to milk his title in a big way by selecting the 48-year-old Holyfield. The Klitschko brothers don’t appear interested in fighting Holyfield, because they respect him too much and don’t want to be seen beating up on a former great fighter like him.
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