Evander Holyfield left his mark on the boxing world by simply doing what he learned in childhood: work hard and don’t quit. That’s the mantra that made him an Olympic champion and a world champion later on in his life, as he took on the giants of the game and handed a heavy defeat to them. While it has been over 13 years since we last saw him inside the boxing ring, the American boxer’s life, both inside and outside the ring, continues to motivate a new generation of boxers. And now he has come with a message to the fans, as he shared some personal details about his parents and his upbringing.

Holyfield, 61, had a rapid surge in his boxing career, as he went from strength to strength. But his early life wasn’t easy. Did you know that he was born in Atmore to mill worker Ison Coley and Annie Laura Holyfield? As his father left home early in his youth, his mother moved to Atlanta and raised him in the crime-stricken neighborhood of Bowen Homes Housing Projects. That’s not it.

His mother worked as a cafeteria cook to make ends meet. That didn’t deter ‘The Real Deal,’ as he found calling in boxing at 7, and the rest we know. But there is more to it. Holyfield, at 44-10-2, turned to his Instagram handle and admitted that his parents didn’t have an education and that he saw the hardships of poverty. However, his parents took hardships head-on.

He wrote, “I came up poor. My mother only had a fourth-grade education. My dad didn’t have any education at all. But they were very structured. They worked hard. You know, they didn’t complain. They didn’t murmur. And they believe in Christ. Keep going.”

The Atmore native always looked to his parents for motivation and sought their guidance at every obstacle that left him with wobbly legs. His mother even saved his career once he decided to call it quits during his amateur boxing days.

Evander Holyfield’s mother saved his career

The former heavyweight champion had dismantled his competition in his junior boxing days until he met Cecil Collins and tasted defeat for the first time. That shook him and frustrated him. So, he decided to quit. However, Holyfield’s mother didn’t allow him to. He recalls, “My mama said that I had to go back because she didn’t raise a quitter.”

After the heavyweight boxer went and tried again and again and lost the bout, his mother pushed him to try again. So, when Holyfield went and faced Collins for the third time, he defeated him and his amateur career wasn’t the same anymore. It skyrocketed, and within a few years, he found himself sitting on the champion’s throne. What do you make of this message by Evander Holyfield? Let us know in the comments below.