AGED EX-CHAMP STILL BELIEVES!
New York, NY- A 1984 Olympian, four-time heavyweight champ and ring legend Evander Holyfield (42-10-2, 27 KOs) spent a few minutes with me during a break from training. Evander will fight Francois Botha (47-4-3, 28 KOs) Saturday night at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.
JS: How do you maintain such hunger and determination after you’ve proven so much after all of these years?Holy: It’s about having goals. Ever since ‘92, my goal has been to be the undisputed heavyweight champ of the world again. It’s funny how whenever something comes up, people forget that I won the heavyweight championship four times. I was in position to reach my goal back in ‘99, but they gave the decision to Lennox Lewis. After that, people asked me what I was going to do and I said my goal had not been accomplished. So it was time for me to get back in line. If people wanted to get me out of boxing, they should have gave me what was rightfully mine. I feel they just intensified the situation and brought more life to it. At 47 years old, people always ask me if I can really still do this, but they got to understand that I take care of myself. Age is just a number and it don’t mean anything if you take care of yourself. I maintain and rebuild. I never allowed myself to get out of shape because I’m always thinking about what I need to become.
JS: You looked excellent in your last fight against Nicolay Valuev and most definitely should have gotten the nod. For your upcoming fight with Frans Botha, how do you feel? Holy: Actually, I feel great. I gonna stick to the basic things. To do it at an older age, you have to be more knowledgeable and modest in training, you have to pull back on how hard you work because your mental strength is so strong to do it, but you have to know how to scale back and be perfect on that day. If you make too many mistakes, you wont have the energy to finish up like you want to. Your body does recover, it just doesn’t as fast as when your young.
JS: With success against Botha, who are you seeking to fight next? Holy: We talk about the Klitschko brothers and David Haye. Whoever. My whole thing is one fighter at a time. Whatever can be negotiated between the three when the time comes, I’ll be happy to do it.
JS: At the end of the day, how would you like to be remembered by the sport? Holy: I would like to be remembered as a guy that knew what he wanted. I’d like to show the people of the world that you can’t accomplish what you want to accomplish if you quit. A set back paves the way for a comeback.
JS: Absolutely, and that’s why you’ve always been one of my all time favorite fighters, mainly because you never quit and that notion has transcended way beyond the world of boxing. Let me ask you a fantasy question, if you could face any heavyweight of any era who would it be? Holy: (laughs) I have been fortunate enough to be in the era I’ve been fighting in facing guys like Tyson, Holmes, Foreman, Mike Dokes…past fighters, like Ali, I learned from.
JS: It’s been one heck of a career for you man. Outside of boxing, what else keeps you busy? Holy: People. My foundation is always trying to create a structural way for me to get to the underprivileged kids and share the same knowledge that someone shared with me at a young age, letting the kids and their parents know that they need to find something to be great at and be appreciative of it and share it with others. I know that I’m good at boxing because I spent so much time in the sport. It’s about connecting and sharing with people that know their thing as equally as you know yours and sharing it.
JS: Well I think it’s amazing that you have stayed grounded and still give back to the people after all these years. Having celebrated enormous amounts of fame and fortune, you’re the same humble guy that I first remember, giving the same sound bite as you did back then. You stayed true Evander, and you can’t say that about too many people and that’s what makes you great champ. Holy: Thank you very much.Evander Holyfield: Thank you.
Full weekend fight preview to follow tomorrow night here at Ring Talk.
John Signorella