Evander Holyfield officially retires from boxing

By Ramon Matthews Jr - 06/27/2014 - Comments

holyfield3423By Ramon Matthews Jr: Former 4 time heavyweight champion Evander “the Real Deal” Holyfield has announced his retirement from the sport of boxing yesterday, after almost 30 years as a professional prizefighter at the age of 51.

After winning an Olympic gold medal in 1984 he began his professional career as a cruiserweight the following year. In 1988 he became the undisputed cruiserweight champion of the world and decided he would move into the heavyweight division, and began a legendary campaign at heavyweight facing the very best fighters of his time.

As a heavyweight Evander Holyfield won his first world heavyweight championship from James “Buster” Douglas in 1990, the man who defeated Mike Tyson that same year in what is probably the biggest boxing upset of all time.  Evander Holyfield has been in some the biggest and most exciting fights in heavyweight history. He holds wins over George Foreman, Larry Holmes, Riddick Bowe, Ray Mercer, and Michael Moorer, Mike Tyson. He also has been in two very competitive fights against Lennox Lewis against whom he went (0-1-1). He will be remembered for his historic trilogy of fights against Riddick Bowe, the first Tyson-Holyfield fight, and the what is known as “the Bite Fight” against Mike Tyson in Tyson-Holyfield II.

Holyfield is the only man ever to win 4 heavyweight world titles, and is also the only man to have 2 wins over “Iron” Mike Tyson. He is man who has experience the highest of highs and the lowest of lows being beaten later in his career against John Ruiz, and stopped by James “Lights Out” Toney. Prior to retirement he had been inactive since July of 2011. He had been hoping to land a final opportunity to fight for the world title, but never received another opportunity. Evander Holyfield will be inducted into the Nevada Hall of Fame in Las Vegas on August 9th to celebrate one the greatest heavyweights of the 1990’s.



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