Evander Holyfield is a champion again, he won the WBF heavyweight belt. The 47 year old Evander Holyfield (43-10-2, 28 KOs) knocked out 41-year-old Frans Botha with 2:05 left in the eighth round to claim the WBF heavyweight championship on Saturday night. Holyfield (43-10-2) knocked the defending champion down 31 seconds earlier with a right to the chin.
Botha (47-5-3) beat refree Russell Mora’s count, but Mora then stopped the fight with the South African backed into a corner.
“I’m going to be the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world,” Holyfield said.(nbcsports.msnbc.com)
There were only 3,127 people at the Thomas & Mack Center, most rooting for Holyfield in his first fight since Dec. 20, 2008, when he lost a majority decision to Nikolay Valuev.
At the post-fight press conference, it was mentioned Holyfield would like to fight one of the Klitschko brothers, who hold three of the four major heavyweight champions. Wladimir Klitschko holds two titles, while Vitali holds one.
Seriously Holyfield wants to take on one of the Klitschko brothers? What is he thinking? Something is seriously wrong with him if he thinks it is a good idea to get in the ring with younger more powerful fighters. This who scenario illustrates a much bigger problem with boxing as a whole.
You have two men with a combined age of 88 years old fighting for a championship, what is even more disgraceful is the fact that Botha was actually holding a belt. Apparently the WBF championship belt is “lightly regarded” in the boxing world, so why the hell have it in the first place. Now a 47 year old man who has trouble forming complete sentences holds the belt?
There has to be something wrong with a sport that has four championship belts in the same weight class, so how can you actually say who is the best? Is the WBF belt becoming boxing’s version of the Senior Boxing Tour? People that run the sport wonder why MMA is taking more and more of boxing’s market share at time goes on.
The fact that you have a championship bout and only 3,127 people who up for it says that you have a problem. There should be a movement in boxing to cut down the number of belts and regulate things a little bit more, the fact that Floyd “Money” Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao never could agree on a fight is killing the sport.
If boxing does not do something soon, MMA will eventually over take them. I like MMA, but still think boxing can be better if they get their act together.
Sounds like someone needs to brush up on their Boxing following. Look Marksman, you cannot use that bullshit basketball/football ageist blast when it comes to REAL contact sports. If a warrior can still bring it then what’s the problem?
Were you bitching in Gladiator when the mighty Tigris was brought back to take on Maximus when no other young punk could stand toe with the Spaniard within the Arena? No but just because Brett Favre is undergoing heat for being “too old” you bring the funk to a warrior like Evander. I call shenanigans, maybe you’re from the Jim Rome school of Sport blogging but you need to look at things more objectively. Is Evander still a draw and which weight class does the public non-fans prefer to watch?
Nuff said. – Bear.
That is just the point Evander is not drawing, 3,127 people is nothing for a heavyweight title fight. I bet this was not even on pay per view, I bet his take home wasn’t even a million. The guy is strapped for cash plain and simple, so he participates in this sideshow of a boxing match.
If you are up there in age and can still bring it, I am all for you, but Evander has not beaten anyone of note since Hasim Rahman. Let him get in the ring with one of the Klitschko brothers and watch your warrior take a beating.