Evander Holyfield Reveals His Reaction to When Odds Were Stacked Against Him for Mike Tyson Fight: “I Don’t…”

Mike Tyson  is not just another former boxer. The legend has inked his name in the history of boxing as one of the most disciplined and scary fighters of all time. Out of the few who could put a dent on the was Evander Holyfield AKA The Real Deal. He is the only boxer in history to win the undisputed championship in two weight classes in the three-belt era. His reign was supreme with a whopping 44-win record out of which 29 were knockouts. He is the only four-time world champion.

In 1994, Holyfield was forced to retire upon medical advice. In 1996, He came back to defeat Tyson and was named the Fight of the Year and Upset of the Year by The Ring magazine. The fight came after great anticipation and the odds were against Holyfield. He again won a rematch against Tyson in 1997 which saw the latter disqualified in round three for the infamous ear-biting incident. While speaking about his fights with Tyson which drew much attention, he revealed why the odds siding with his opponent never bothered him.

Evander Holyfield on why the Mike Tyson fight did not scare him

On DJ Vlad’s podcast, Holyfield reminisces about his fight against Mike Tyson. When asked, “The odds were 5 to 1 in Tyson’s favor. Do you feel like that, that was a little skewed?”, He replied with the fact that it is not the odds that fight, but you yourself. He believes that he is a man who does not care what the crowd says as long as he does his best. This stature had led him to his grand victory.

Tyson has always been a fan favorite, his strength and power were unparalleled, even more so after he had come out of prison. So naturally the odds were against Holyfield. With a stunning TKO win, his triumph came as a big surprise and disappointment to boxing enthusiasts. When asked about the headbutts during the fight, Holyfield denies that they were intentional and goes on to say that it was Tyson who was in fact, headbutting. What does Holyfield think about this achievement.

Evander Holyfield on his greatest achievements

When asked about his greatest victory, Holyfield replies with how making the Olympics was the biggest achievement for him. Even becoming the Heavyweight champion did not mean as much to him as making the Olympic team did. He adds how without the Olympics, he would have never reached where he is now.

“One thing about boxing too, is you get to please the people. They pay the money.” states Holyfield, making his fights entertaining is truly important to him. Running around the ring is not particularly entertaining, So, he did not have any hesitation in facing ‘Iron Mike’.

Read More: “Tears Just Fell In My Eyes”: Evander Holyfield Reveals Only Fighter He Was Afraid to Face But Beat Him to Win Junior Olympics 

There has never been another 4-time Heavyweight champion, Muhammad Ali, ‘The Greatest’ himself had only done it 3 times. This is what Holyfield is capable of when he does his very best. Holyfield is a man whose name is engraved in the stones of history and future alike. Will we ever see someone as great as him again?

Watch This Story: George Foreman Snubs Muhammad Ali and Evander Holyfield to Give Mike Tyson the “Most Spectacular Athlete” Crown