“They Told Me, I Had a Heart Attack”: Clearing Out HGH Accusations, Evander Holyfield Explains the Heart Problem Chaos That Led Him to Announce Retirement

Following his defeat to Michael Moorer in 1994, the renowned boxer Evander Holyfield retired abruptly when doctors identified a heart condition in the aftermath of the fight. However, a later re-examination of his heart revealed a misdiagnosis, potentially influenced by morphine administered after the loss. Subsequently, the chairman of the Nevada Commission’s medical advisory board suggested the champion’s condition might be indicative of HGH (human growth hormone) use.

As Holyfield faced allegations of steroid use in the later stages of his career, he consistently and vehemently denied any involvement with performance-enhancing drugs. Even recently, he remained adamant when asked about the allegation put forth by the Nevada State Athletic Commission, Holyfield blamed it on “too much morphine.”

Evander Holyfield denies the use of any PEDs

In a series of interviews with VLAD TV, Evander Holyfield was asked about his misdiagnosed heart condition, and later he was accused of the usage of Human Growth hormone. Holyfield simply denied any such accusation and stated how he’s never failed any test, so any such accusation doesn’t have anything to lead on.

When asked about the HGH use, Holyfield said, “No, you see, the thing is, you know, in that same situation right there, when they told me I had a heart attack, they gave me too much morphine. They gave me too much morphine and that was the whole problem because I didn’t have no heart- I didn’t have a heart problem. They gave me too much morphine.” Because of this diagnosis, Holyfield also had to retire from the sport for some time. He also mentioned, “Yeah, the thing is because I’m the most tested athlete ever. Because everybody was saying, ain’t no way in the world that Liberty guy can fight them guys like that.”

So, Holyfield was hellbent on proving everyone wrong and stated that it was a medical issue, otherwise, he’s never used anything to enhance his performance as such. Holyfield’s team gave the same statements in 2007 as well, and at that time, he was supported by the Nevada Commission.

Holyfield might be using an alias to get HGH

In a report by Sports Illustrated, suspicions arose around a patient named ‘Evan Fields’ at a Mobile, Alabama lab, bearing a birth date identical to Holyfield’s and a similar address. Notably, when the associated phone number was dialed, Holyfield himself answered. Despite these connections, Holyfield vehemently denied any involvement with steroids.

According to the web report, in June 2004, an individual believed to be Holyfield collected testosterone and Glukor, along with injection supplies. Subsequently, within a week, this same individual received human growth hormone (HGH) and related supplies. After such an accusation, Holyfield released a statement, saying, “I do not use steroids. I have never used steroids.” Despite speculation and investigations into Evander Holyfield’s potential use of performance-enhancing substances, Dr. Margaret Goodman, the chairman of the Nevada Athletic Commission’s medical advisory board, clarified that Holyfield has never failed a steroid test.

Read More: One Month After Painful Open Heart Surgery, Evan Holyfield’s Mother Opens Up About Him Getting Back Into the Gym

She acknowledged that Holyfield was questioned about possible HGH use in 1994 when he experienced a heart condition. Notably, she highlighted the absence of an accepted test for detecting HGH use and signed off Holyfield for any such accusations. So, it was never proven whether Holyfield actually used any steroids or not. What do you think? Tell us in the comments section.

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