Evander Holyfield

Evander Holyfield is a retired American boxer who dominated the sport from 1984 to 2014. Evander Holyfield’s outstanding performance is due to his great techniques, fantastic kicks, and ability to anticipate the opponent’s strategies.

Due to his dominance in boxing in the 1990s, Evander dubbed him ‘The Real Deal.’

In the same way, Holyfield’s 26 years in the ring had netted him four world heavyweight titles.

Early Life, Family, and Education

Evander Holyfield was born on October 19, 1962, in Atmore, Alabama, United States.

He was the youngest child of a large family.

Evander was one of eight brothers, and he had a different father than the rest of his siblings.

Annie Laura Holyfield, Evander’s mother, gave birth to him.

Annie raised the children with their granny. His mother, a devout Christian, instilled in him and his brothers the importance of pursuing one’s dreams and living a disciplined life.

Holyfield’s family relocated from Alabama to an Atlanta housing project area when he was four years old.

At the time, Atlanta was known for having a high crime rate.

Evander also gradually became acquainted with boxing after joining a children’s boxing group at the age of seven.

In addition, he began boxing at a young age and earned gold in the sport.

He graduated from Fulton High School in 1980 after completing his education.

Evander competed in the Junior Olympics when he was only 13 years old.

He also won the Southeastern regional tournament. He also took home the award for Best Boxer.

Not to mention the fact that, at the age of 15, Holyfield had already proven his worth by winning 160 of 174 contests, with 76 of them being knockouts.

During this time, he also competed in the 1983 Pan American Games, winning a silver medal and the National Golden Gloves.

Evander also competed in the 1984 Summer Olympic Games, winning a bronze medal.

Facts of Evander Holyfield

Net Worth

Evander Holyfield has a net worth of $1 million.

Boxing Statistics and Career

Heavyweight (light)

Holyfield made his professional debut in the light heavyweight division against Lionel Byarm in November 1984.

Evander not only took part in the game, but he also won his first bout.

Holyfield, meanwhile, went on to win a few more fights in the Light Heavyweight class before deciding to switch to cruiserweight the next year.

Cruiserweight

In July 1985, Evander made his cruiserweight debut, taking on Tyrone Booze.

Evander was declared the winner in round 8 by the unanimous judgment of the judges.

He also won two more fights before defeating Anthony Davis in his final fight of the year.

After defeating Muhammad Qawi in a difficult match in 1986, Holyfield was crowned WBA Cruiserweight Champion, the greatest of the 1980s in the cruiserweight division.

In a rematch in 1987, he defeated Qawi by KO in the fourth round. Following that, Holyfield went on to defend his belt against Henry Tillman.

As an amateur, Henry defeated World Champion Mike Tyson twice. Holyfield retained his title after knocking out Tillman in Round 7.

Furthermore, he retained his championship by KO in round 11 against ex-world champion Ossie Ocasio.

In addition, Holyfield rose to prominence after defeating Carlos De León, the Lineal and WBC Champion, in 1988.

He expressed his ambition to ascend to the heavyweight category by challenging Mike Tyson for the World Heavyweight Championship after the fight.

Heavyweight

Holyfield fought James Tillis, who was known for his rapid fighting style and flash punches, in his heavyweight debut. Evander KO’d his opponent in the fifth round.

Holyfield’s first fight against Michael Dokes, an ex-heavyweight champion, in 1989 is remembered as one of the best heavyweight fights of the 1980s.  Holyfield won the fight via KO in the tenth round.

Holyfield’s incredible accomplishments earned him the #1 spot in Ring Magazine for two years in a row by 1990.

In 1990, Buster Douglas ripped Tyson’s belts off. For Douglas’ prime title defense, Holyfield was paired with Douglas in place of Mike Tyson.

Evander was crowned the Undisputed Heavyweight Champion by a unanimous verdict.

In addition, he won his first title defense against George Foreman by unanimous decision.

(1992-1995)

After that, Holyfield continued to defend his belts against Bert Cooper and Francesco Damiani.

In 1992, Holyfield received his first scar in a fight against Larry Holmes, who was 42 years old at the time.

Holyfield was adamant about facing Riddick Bowe, who had been one of his greatest enemies throughout his career. As a result, the match’s tenth round was named the best of the year.

However, Evander was defeated in the twelfth round by a unanimous decision to Riddick, who claimed the belt.

A rematch was scheduled for November 1993 once more. Someone flew in a parachute near to the ring and became caught in the lights, making the match unforgettable.

Soon after, a man known as ‘The Fan Man’ entered the fray, and the fight was dubbed ‘The Fan Fight.’

Holyfield eventually won the battle and regained his championship crown. He was also named Athlete of the Year on ABC’s Wide World of Sports.

Evander was defeated by Michael Moorer of the light heavyweight division in 1994. In round 12, the defeat came as a result of a majority decision.

After being diagnosed with a cardiac condition, he was forced to give up his gloves.

A rematch was set for later in 1998, and Holyfield won with an IBF championship.

Evander returned to the octagon in 1995 after defeating Ray Mercer.

(1995-2000)

After that, Holyfield agreed to a rematch against Riddick Bowe. Riddick KO’d his opponent in the eighth round.

In 1996, the long-awaited Holyfield vs. Mike Tyson fight finally took place. Against all odds, Evander won the match.

He won the WBA Heavyweight Championship by technical knockout in round 11 over Tyson.

A rematch between Tyson and Holyfield was set for June 1997.

Tyson bit Evander’s ears twice throughout the match, earning him a point deduction and disqualification.

Evander eventually won the match and retained his belt. Evander successfully defended his championship against VaughnBea in 1998.

In addition, WBC World Champion Lennox Lewis fought Holyfield in a unification battle in 1999.

The game ended in a tie, but Holyfield was defeated in the next match.

(2000-2009)

Following Lewis’ belt removal, Holyfield and John Ruiz were scheduled to fight for the world title belt in 2000.

Instead, Evander won the opening round by unanimous decision in the twelfth round.

Following that, Ruiz won a rematch in 2001 by unanimous decision in the same twelfth round. The next fight took place in December 2001, and it ended in a draw, allowing Ruiz to keep his belts.

In a pivotal bout, Evander faced Hasim Rahman to determine who would face Lennox Lewis for the IBF title. Lewis eventually lost his belt, and Holyfield was declared the winner by technical decision.

With time, Holyfield’s consistency deteriorated, and he lost a string of fights in a row. He did, however, defeat Jeremy Bates via technical knockout in 2006.

After that, Holyfield won numerous fights before facing Sultan Ibragimov for the WBO Heavyweight title.

Ibragimov won the WBO Heavyweight title by unanimous decision over Holyfield in a highly combative and thrilling fight.

(2009-2014)

In 2009, Holyfield was defeated by Nikolai Valuev by a majority decision in a very contentious bout that the WBA later investigated.

Evander met Francois Both in 2010 and won the battle to win the WBF heavyweight title.

He also listed the only no-contest match of his career, which he lost against Wladimir Klitschko in round 2 due to an eye injury.

Evander declared his retirement shortly after losing to Brian Nielsen of Denmark and getting a title fight with the Klitschko brothers.

Holyfield retired from boxing in 2014, having won 44 of his 57 fights.

On the Boxrec website, you can find everything of Holyfield’s boxing information, including his records, fight lists, victories, and defeats.

Personal Life, Wife, and Children

Evander Holyfield is currently known to be single. Intriguingly, he has been married to three separate women, all of whom he has divorced.

Caldi Cavana Smith was Holyfield’s most recent ex-wife. Among all of his spouses, Caldi was the one with whom he spent the most time, 11 years.

Evander is the father of 11 children born to six different women. Elijah Esaias, one of his kids, plays collegiate football for the University of Georgia.

Music, TV Shows, and Movies

Evander Holyfield founded Real Deal Records in 1999, which is best known for Exhale, a popular music group.

The Real Deal is also known for NiWine’s signature, a well-known Filipino musician. Holyfield’s passion for music is reflected in the development of the record company.

He has also appeared in films and television series. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, which premiered in 1990, is one of them.

Evander also starred in a Nickelodeon animated series called GUTS, in which his character sported his signature bitten ear.

In 2014, he appeared on Celebrity Big Brother (UK) and was the show’s first evictee.

His most recent appearance was on an Argentine dancing reality show in 2016.

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Height, and Weight

Evander is 6 feet 2 inches tall and weighs 102 kilograms. At the age of 18, he was just 5 ft 8 inches tall.

In his early twenties, he added about 3 inches to attain adult height.

Holyfield also has an athletic physique and a well-trained body as a result of his years of training.

Evander has been a boxer for over a decade, yet he is still muscular and in great shape.

In addition, to keep his body in shape, Holyfield follows a strict diet and training routine.

To stay fit and active, he conducts a variety of workouts and activities.

Social Media Presence

Evander is a frequent user of social media. He has 982k likes on Facebook, 503k Instagram followers, and 301.7k Twitter followers.