How Much Do You Respect Holyfield

[Suckmedry]

Speculation on everything aside, every single time Evander got between the ropes you knew he was going to fight his heart out and put it all on the line. His resilience in the 10th round against Bowe is actually inspiring to watch. Great fighter.

[Anthony342]

I respect him a great deal for what he did in the ring. The steroid use and children with multiple women is what hurt his reputation outside the ring though.

[U_TALKING_2_ME?]

I respect him a great deal for what he did in the ring. The steroid use and children with multiple women is what hurt his reputation outside the ring though.

What steroid use?

Just like Pac Man, Evander never tested dirty or did I miss something?

Children with multiple women?

Hell I have children with more than one woman and he was paying the support until he could not afford to.

You want to pay your money to see a fight? Then Evander was your man.

He fought them all big or small and he was coming every round to give it his all, he was the real fu@king deal.

And was always respectful to everyone until the bell rang, and then it was a fight.

Heart, skill and determination one of my top three favorite fighters and was fighting when I was gaining personal financial freedom so every chance I got I spent my money to see a real warrior fight in the flesh.

I was not old enough to see Joe Louis fight live but I am proud and was lucky enough to see "The Real Fu@king Deal" fight live and I will tell my grand kids all about it.

Rant over.

[billeau2]

Sorry for the late response, but based on what?

Lewis, as much as I liked him as a British heavyweight in the 90s, did not have the same level of heart, determination or skill as a prime Holyfield. His resume doesn't stack up to the man dubbed "Commander Vander" either. On what basis does one rank Lewis higher? I find little argument to favour him, in the 90s being the key phrase here.

His resume what?!! Why don't you take another look at both guys resumes.

[Anthony342]

No, didn't test dirty, but it was proven he was a known customer in the BALCO case. Authorities found the name Evan Fields in a file, called the number and Holyfield answered. Pretty damn incriminating to me. And the children with multiple women hurts his image because he's ultra religious and all about doing the right thing, yet he didn't stay faithful to any of these women. I don't have a huge problem with it but because of his ultra religious views, it makes him seem a bit hypocritical is all.

Calm down, he's an all-time great and one of the best warriors of the ring and he deserves to make anyone's "Gatti List" of great ring warriors.

[Mintcar923]

Holyfield is great..the problem is he didn't have star power....for example,he
beat Tyson fair and square but Tyson is and always will be the star...sad but
true...Lennox same thing...you either have star power or you don't...Fighters
who had star power are Tyson,Delahoya,Leonard,Duran,Ali..for example.

I like Evander, too.. But, beat Mike fair and square?! C'mon, he used a lot of rough tactics in the fights they had.. Not saying at all Mike retaliating the way he did was right..

[Weltschmerz]

Good subject.

I have a lot of respect for Holyfield, especially for the two Tyson fights and how he conducted himself. He bullied the bully.

[U_TALKING_2_ME?]

No, didn't test dirty, but it was proven he was a known customer in the BALCO case. Authorities found the name Evan Fields in a file, called the number and Holyfield answered. Pretty damn incriminating to me. And the children with multiple women hurts his image because he's ultra religious and all about doing the right thing, yet he didn't stay faithful to any of these women. I don't have a huge problem with it but because of his ultra religious views, it makes him seem a bit hypocritical is all.

Calm down, he's an all-time great and one of the best warriors of the ring and he deserves to make anyone's "Gatti List" of great ring warriors.

All this I understand but if the man never tested dirty then he never tested dirty.

And I don't know some boxing fans are a little to intrusive, sensitive and judgmental about fighters lives outside the ring.

I pay to watch the man fight, not to watch my kids.

And I am very calm, but you know they have the names for Floyd fans and Pac Man fans so I guess you can call me a Holy-roller. LoL

[MartinC]

So he used rough tactics against one of the dirtiest fighters of the times in Mike Tyson? He refused to be bullied and the Bully underestimated his heart.
By the time he fought Tyson he was supposed to be through. He already was retired with heart problems, he had been stopped by Bowe and beat by Moorer. Don King fed Holyfield to Tyson as a sacrificial feast and the feast ate him.

[BKM-2010]

I would also say Holyfield was the HW of the 90s. Lewis had some of his best wins in the 00s and added a lot to his legacy after the 90s. Holyfield fought everybody and found success against all of them, even in defeat sometimes.


But it is clear that he lost a lot of respect over the years after the balco connection and personal problems that made his religious views(which he brought into every single pre and post fight promo/interview so it isn't about people looking into his personal life too much) seem hypocritical. And indeed, watching him around the mid to late 90s when his traps were so big that some pro bodybuilders would envy him, it's like trying to ignore the Elephant in the room.


Another critique which I believe to be valid are his dirty tactics. I simply do not agree with the "it's a fight" crowd. It isn't, it is a professional boxing match regulated by rules that have to be enforced. I look at most greats that never relied so much on moves like that and I fail to not only look past Holyfield's dirty moves but to somehow credit him for "trying hard" as well.


Boxing fans hardly talk about him these days. Atleast, not as much as they should considering how much there is to talk about in such a long and incredibly lustrious career. I tried to look at the causes of some of the respect he has lost, but having said all that, I believe Holyfield is a top 10 ATG HW and one of the most memorable fighters of my childhood.