“The Whole Big Thing Because They Were Women”: Evander Holyfield Explains How His Two Sons Got the Same Name

Evander Holyfield, the legendary former heavyweight champion added his name to the list of athletes with the most children. A total of eleven children from three marriages make up his family. Holyfield’s marital history involves three wives: Paulette Bowen (married in 1985), Janice Itson (married in 1996), and Candi Calvana Smith (married in 2003). His six girls and five boys, all have unique names such as Ein Ezekiel, Elijah Esaias, Evette Ashley, Eleazer Evan, Eli Ethan, Elijah Jedidiah, Eden Eloise, Even Elizabeth, Evander Jr, Ebonne Esheal, and Emani Winter.

Note how all their names start with the letter ‘E’ Moreover, two of them are named ‘Elijah’.  In a recent interview with DJ Vlad on YouTube, Holyfield reveals why two of his sons have the same name.

Evander Holyfield on why two of his sons are named Elijah

The interviewer observed that the 11 children Holyfield have with 6 different women, all share names starting with ‘E’. Moreover, he also noticed that Holyfield has two sons named Elijah. To this, the former boxer had an answer ready. “One of the mothers say- Imma name my son Elijah and the other one said they going to name son Elijah too,” said Holyfield. It became a significant situation as they both wanted to assert their preferences.

“I’m saying so the whole big thing because they were women, they realise that she gon do it because she want to do it,” added Holyfield. Interestingly, to address the similarity, they gave each Elijah a distinct middle name. One has ‘Jedidiah’ as his middle name while the other has ‘Esaias’ added to his name. This was done to differentiate them while maintaining the thematic ‘E’ pattern. The naming process was a result of individual choices, with the mothers expressing their autonomy in deciding what they felt was right for their sons.

What are Evander Holyfield’s children up to?

While none of Holyfield’s children have reached the same level of fame as their father, each has carved a successful path in their chosen fields. Evan Holyfield, potentially the most prominent among them, follows in his father’s footsteps as a professional boxer. With an unblemished 7-0 record, including 5 knockouts, in the super welterweight category, Evan is making waves in the boxing world.

Read More: Years After Suffering $222.5 Million Loss, Evander Holyfield Finally Opens Up About How He Built His 45,000 sq.ft. Castle While Making a Brutally Honest Confession

Scheduled for his next appearance on October 23, he seems destined for greatness. Additionally, Elijah Holyfield has made a name for himself in football, transitioning from a successful college career to the professional arena. Both sons, representing ‘The Real Deal’ legacy, have individually established their identities, hinting at a promising continuation of their father’s sporting heritage.

Holyfield, as it seems did not have a major role to play in the naming of his kids as the mothers took the responsibility upon themselves. Do the names confuse you too?

Watch This Story: All You Need to Know About Evander Holyfield’s Son Evan’s Recent Health Scare