Evander Holyfield facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Evander Holyfield |
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Holyfield in 2011
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| Rated at |
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| Height | 6 ft 2+1/2 in | |||||||||||||||||||
| Reach | 77+1/2 in | |||||||||||||||||||
| Born | October 19, 1962 Atmore, Alabama, U.S. |
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| Stance | Orthodox | |||||||||||||||||||
| Boxing record | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Total fights | 57 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Wins | 44 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Wins by KO | 29 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Losses | 10 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Draws | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||
| No contests | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Evander Holyfield (born October 19, 1962) is an American former professional boxer. He competed from 1984 to 2011. He was the undisputed champion in two different weight classes: cruiserweight and heavyweight. This means he held all the major championship belts at the same time. He was the first boxer to do this in the "three-belt era."
Holyfield is also the only boxer to win the world heavyweight title four times. He held titles from the World Boxing Association (WBA), World Boxing Council (WBC), and International Boxing Federation (IBF). People called him "the Real Deal" because of his amazing skills.
Contents
Early Life and Amateur Boxing
Evander Holyfield was born in Atmore, Alabama, on October 19, 1962. He was the youngest of nine children. His family later moved to Atlanta, Georgia, where he grew up.
He started boxing when he was just seven years old. By age 13, he was good enough to compete in the Junior Olympics. At 15, he became the Southeastern Regional Champion. By 1984, he had an impressive amateur record of 160 wins and only 14 losses.
In 1983, when he was 20, Holyfield won a silver medal at the Pan American Games in Venezuela. The next year, he won a bronze medal at the 1984 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles. This was a great start to his boxing journey.
Becoming a Professional Boxer
Holyfield turned professional at age 21. He started in the light heavyweight division in 1984. His first professional fight was a win in New York City. He quickly showed his talent, winning several more fights.
Rising Through the Ranks
In 1985, Holyfield moved up to the cruiserweight division. He continued his winning streak, knocking out many opponents. In 1986, he got his first chance at a world title. He fought Dwight Muhammad Qawi for the WBA Cruiserweight Championship. It was a tough fight, but Holyfield won by a close decision. This made him a world champion!
He then defended his title and won more belts. In 1987, he beat Ricky Parkey to add the IBF title. In 1988, he defeated Carlos De León to win the WBC title. This made Evander Holyfield the undisputed cruiserweight champion. He held all three major belts in that weight class.
Conquering the Heavyweight Division
After becoming the undisputed cruiserweight champion, Holyfield decided to move up to the heavyweight division in 1988. This was a big challenge, as heavyweights are often much larger. He quickly proved he belonged, beating former champions like James Tillis and Pinklon Thomas.
In 1990, Holyfield got his shot at the undisputed heavyweight title. He was supposed to fight Mike Tyson, but Tyson lost his title in a huge upset to Buster Douglas. So, Holyfield fought Douglas instead. Holyfield was in great shape and knocked Douglas out in the third round. This made Evander Holyfield the new undefeated, undisputed heavyweight champion of the world!
Defending the Crown
Holyfield successfully defended his heavyweight titles three times.
- In 1991, he faced the legendary George Foreman, who was much older but still a strong fighter. Holyfield won by a unanimous decision.
- Later that year, he fought Bert Cooper in Atlanta. Cooper surprised Holyfield with some strong punches, but Holyfield recovered and won by TKO in the seventh round.
- In 1992, he defeated another former champion, Larry Holmes, by unanimous decision.
Rivalries and Big Fights
Evander Holyfield was known for his exciting rivalries with other top boxers.
Riddick Bowe Trilogy
Holyfield had three memorable fights with Riddick Bowe.
- In their first fight in 1992, Holyfield suffered his first professional loss. Bowe won the undisputed title by a unanimous decision.
- The rematch in 1993 was very unusual. During the fight, a man parachuted into the ring area! This caused a long delay. After things calmed down, Holyfield fought hard and won back his WBA and IBF heavyweight titles. This fight is often called "The Fan Man Fight."
- Their third fight in 1995 was another tough battle. Holyfield knocked Bowe down, but Bowe eventually won by knockout in the eighth round.
The Mike Tyson Fights
Holyfield also had two famous fights against Mike Tyson.
- In 1996, Holyfield fought Tyson for the WBA Heavyweight Championship. Tyson was expected to win, but Holyfield surprised everyone. He defeated Tyson by TKO in the 11th round. This made Holyfield a world heavyweight champion for the third time, a rare achievement.
- Their rematch in 1997 became one of the most talked-about fights in boxing history. In the third round, Tyson bit Holyfield's ear, and a piece of it was torn off. Tyson was disqualified from the fight. This shocking event is known as "The Bite Fight."
Lennox Lewis Rivalry
In 1999, Holyfield faced Lennox Lewis, the WBC World Champion, to unify all the heavyweight titles.
- Their first fight in March 1999 ended in a controversial draw. Many people thought Lewis had won.
- They had a rematch in November 1999. This time, Lewis won by a clear decision, becoming the undisputed champion.
John Ruiz Trilogy
Holyfield then had three fights against John Ruiz.
- In 2000, Holyfield fought Ruiz for the vacant WBA title. Holyfield won by a unanimous decision, making history as the first boxer to win a version of the heavyweight title four times!
- In their rematch in 2001, Ruiz won by decision, becoming the first Hispanic heavyweight champion.
- Their third fight later that year was a draw, so Ruiz kept the title.
Later Career and Retirement
Holyfield continued to box into his 40s. He had several more fights, including wins against Hasim Rahman and Lou Savarese. He tried to win a fifth heavyweight title against Sultan Ibragimov in 2007 and Nikolai Valuev in 2008, but he lost both fights. Many people felt he should have won the fight against Valuev.
In 2010, Holyfield won the WBF Heavyweight title by knocking out Francois Botha. He had a few more fights before officially retiring in 2014. He had a long and successful career, known for his toughness and determination.
Exhibition Bouts
Even after retiring from professional boxing, Holyfield participated in a few exhibition matches for fun or charity.
- In 2015, he had a friendly exhibition bout with politician Mitt Romney for charity.
- In 2021, he fought Vitor Belfort in an exhibition match, which he lost.
Personal Life
Evander Holyfield lives in Fayette County, Georgia. His son, Evan Holyfield, has also become a professional boxer. Another son, Elijah, played football.
Holyfield is a born-again Christian. He has appeared in television shows like The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Home Improvement. He also had a video game called Evander Holyfield's Real Deal Boxing. In 1996, he carried the Olympic torch for the Atlanta Olympics.
Images for kids
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Holyfield vs. Lou Savarese, 2007
See also
In Spanish: Evander Holyfield para niños
- List of cruiserweight boxing champions
- List of heavyweight boxing champions
- List of WBA world champions
- List of WBC world champions
- List of IBF world champions
- List of undisputed boxing champions
