Evander Holyfield should never fight again
It's being reported that Evander Holyfield is fighting WBA heavyweight champion Nikolai Valuev on December 20 in Zurich, Switzerland.
That's really bad news. This is why.
Here's the first point. Holyfield is 46 years old and has not won a title fight since 2000 when he struggled to score a unanimous decision over John Ruiz. He has not looked good in a title fight since March of 1999 when he drew with Lennox Lewis at the Garden. Most people felt Lewis won that fight but Holyfield was nonetheless, competitive.
So who has Holyfield (42-9-2, 27 KOs) defeated to earn this shot against the 7-foot tall Valuev? No one. In his last fight, he lost a unanimous decision to WBO champion Sultan Ibragimov in Moscow. That was a year ago. This is merely another case of promoters exploiting Evander's name to secure a large gate at a fight held in a foreign country. No one would pay to see this fight here.
Here's the second point. No one should be taking punches at 46 years old. Yes, as Floyd Mayweather Jr. likes to say, "It's a free country." People are able to pursue their dreams, their instincts, their livelihoods and who are we to stand in the way? Well, decades and decades of evidence suggests that if you are in boxing past the age of 35, the punches will take their toll later in life.
After Holyfield was embarrassed by a very mediocre Larry Donald at the Garden in 2004, then New York State Athletic Commission chairman Ron Stevens suspended Holyfield based on his performance. It was the right move and one, that sadly, no one else has had the courage to follow.
Holyfield returned to boxing nearly two years later and reeled off four wins to "earn" the shot against Ibragimov.
This corner began pleading (in print) with Holyfield to retire after his stirring defeat to Riddick Bowe in 1992. (That was the same time Lou Duva walked away from Evander's corner.) While Evander proved us wrong by following that fight with superb wins against Bowe, Michael Moorer and Mike Tyson, there has been a steady decline in his ability.
But for a man who has given so much to boxing, it will be tragic if the very sport he once carried ends up robbing him of his golden years. You can all point to George Foreman as a fighter who excelled after 40, but he is clearly the acception and not the rule.
Almost as troubling as Holyfield's return to the ring is the suggestion that he needs to fight for financial reasons. According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution, "Holyfield has grossed more than $248 million in ring purses over his career, including $107 million over a six-fight stretch from 1996 to 1999." But he was recently in court and faced possible jail time for failing to make child support payments for three straight months. The AJC reported that his child support payments are "believed to run as high as $500,000 annually for the nine of his 11 children that don’t live with him."
So perhaps the root of this comeback fight is indeed money, Which, as we all know from the cliche, is the root of all evil.
Holyfield's former Olympic teammate from 1984, Mark Breland, once told this corner that, "When you start fighting because of money, that's when you get hurt."
Fighting out of desperation can often lead a young fighter to great heights. But when an old fighter fights out of desperation, it's not only sad, but very dangerous.
-- CASSIDY
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Comments (8)
Evander has had a great career, and will make it into the hall of fame. Sad to see him go the way of so many other fighters who didnt hang up the gloves in time. The only good thing is that although Valuev is a big man, he is not the most talented, and perhaps on whatever vapors are left in Evander's tank, he might go out on his feet... Here's to hoping this fight makes him enough money to hang the gloves up for good.
Nor is Valuev that much of a puncher. So let's hope you are right Tolerance... Nice post.
okay. right off the top. holyfield HAS looked good recently. in his 4 fight win streak against limited competition he looked competent to say the least. lets have a huge call for the retirement of the 4 men he defeated. he then lost a boring decision to ibragimov...no big sin.
going back a few years, holyfield look fine against rahman in 2002 and many still believe he won the lewis rematch in nov 99. so give credit where credit is due. on the flip side, he looked horrible against toney, byrd and donald. (there was a legitimate injury suffered in the byrd bout though). Valuev himself is extremely limited. it is not inconceivable holyfield could win this fight. finally, if the top 10 of ANY rating organization had a hint of depth, holyfield would not be fighting. that fact is, we go from one boring title fight to another, with limited challengers and titlists doing absolutely nothing to clear up the championship (RING Magazine or otherwise) of the heavyweight division.
Brian. Really good post. You are right, those other guys probably should retire. But I still think the point remains, Evander has been fighting for a very long time and has taken his share of punches over a brilliant career. Those punches will haunt him. It's a case of just because you can, doesn't mean you should. Thanks for reading. Bobby
You quoted Mayweather to build a straw man to tear down. I am going to give you a passage from a much more credible source on the topic of freedom.
From "On Liberty" by John Stuart Mill.
That principle is, that the sole end for which mankind are warranted, individually or collectively, in interfering with the liberty of action of any of their number, is self-protection. That the only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others. His own good, either physical or moral, is not a sufficient warrant. He cannot rightfully be compelled to do or forbear because it will be better for him to do so, because it will make him happier, because, in the opinions of others, to do so would be wise, or even right. These are good reasons for remonstrating with him, or reasoning with him, or persuading him, or entreating him, but not for compelling him, or visiting him with any evil in case he do otherwise. To justify that, the conduct from which it is desired to deter him, must be calculated to produce evil to some one else. The only part of the conduct of any one, for which he is amenable to society, is that which concerns others. In the part which merely concerns himself, his independence is, of right, absolute. Over himself, over his own body and mind, the individual is sovereign.
Evander's life and career belong to him. Its probably not a good idea for him to keep fighting. But, to be in favor of the government or authorities forcing him to stop because in the opinion of others its too dangerous is an evil concept that has taken root and if it keeps growing threatens all liberties as we know it. Today it is boxing, in a few years it could be fattening foods. Its a bad philosophy.
It breaks my heart to see not only Evander, but many other well known champions postponing their retirement from their glorious days in the ring. As the Executive Director of the Retired Boxers Foundation, we see many fighters who continued their careers beyond what they should have (and MOST of them showed some sign of damage while still fighting), and the suffering they endure in the end. You don't hear about these stories because we protect the fighter's dignity, but believe me, the damage catches up with them in their forties. I have made four 9-1-1 calls for four retired fighters (two under age 50) who nearly died from seizures and other neuro disorders. We can actually look back at their fights and interviews and see the deterioration in process and it can be as simple as a little slurring, not able to balance on the ball of the foot, changes in stance, head movement, slowness, etc. Then you read about their "mistakes" outside the ring, between fights such as trouble with authorities, etc., and eventually, we see the end result. I realize that these fighters can make up their own minds because it IS a free country, but I wish that we could educate them all about the REAL risks they are taking. Getting knocked out is a risk every fighter takes, but staying too long can not only end a career, but also a life.
A few years ago I had a discussion with a fellow boxing fan about Evander Holyfield. He asked why Evander keeps fighting and doesn't just retire. I responded quite simply: "He keeps fighting because he needs the money, that's the only explanation".
The lesson here is that everyone regardless of their financial situation needs to think about long term sustainability and not live beyond their means.
thank goodness it the giant and not 1 of the klichkos he is fighting or i would be dam worried, he will lose a 12 rd dec and hopefully finally hang them up, the paychecks only get smaller as the losses stack up as does the oppurtunties he recievs, he is lucky he is getting this title fight