Holyfield Says He Fights Because He Loves Boxing

Former heavyweight champion and legendary fighter Evander Holyfield fought in another title fight, this time against Nikolai Valuev for the WBA heavyweight championship. Holyfield aimed to be heavyweight champion for a record-setting fifth time. Holyfield has been unsuccessful in his previous four title fights. His last championship victory was in October of 2000. Being 46 years old coming into this fight didn't seem to give him much of an advantage. Needless to say, Holyfield was the underdog going into this fight, but he has actually been underdog throughout most of his career.

Before he came up to the heavyweight division, Holyfield dominated the cruiserweight division. When he decided to fight in the heavyweight division critics doubted his punching power against what would be much bigger opponents. Proving all doubters wrong, Holyfield captured the heavyweight championship and went on to become one of the great heavyweights of his time. He convincingly defeated Mike Tyson, Riddick Bowe in one of three fights, Michael Moorer, and George Foreman. Why then is he still fighting today, when he has already achieved great things the sport boxing? Holyfield said that he fights because he loves boxing, and he is still very skilled in it.

Evander Holyfield realizes that he doesn't have much time to fight, but says that he is physically in the best shape he's been in, in eight years. Even though he is 46 years old, that doesn't make him an automatic win for his opponents. Bernard Hopkins is 43 years old and just gave 26-year-old middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik the first defeat of his career. Holyfield says that he has nothing to prove to anyone, but he does want to end his career on top. His last fight before Valuev was over a year ago against Sultan Ibragimov for the WBO championship, which he lost pretty badly. His last true competitive showing was against recent Hall of Fame inductee, Lennox Lewis.

Holyfield had a strategy for his opponent Valuev, who stands much taller then him. Apparently he had been studying his opponent in depth, and planned to keep moving in order to keep his much bigger opponent from controlling the fight. The small chance we have always given Holyfield in his many championship bouts, could possibly play out the same way that many of his previous fights have. Holyfield walking away heavyweight champion would be an awesome achievement, and a great story of a boxer who faced all opposition and never ducked anyone at any time in his career.