Years After Fighting With a Heart Condition, Evander Holyfield Comes Clean on $265,000 Cheque He Wrote to a ‘Miracle Healer’

Amidst news of Evander Holyfield’s boxing prowess, one headline emerged that left his fans perplexed. In the later days of his career, reports had emerged that Holyfield had written a cheque of $265,000 for a preacher named, Benny Hinn. There were talks of Hinn having healed his ailing heart. Years later, Holyfield has opened up about the reports.

It was 1994, and Evander Holyfield took the boxing world by shock. He announced his retirement after one of his organs gave up on him. It was his heart. The fighter was coming off his loss against Michael Moorer. Despite the loss, his team was just thankful that he was able to finish the fight that night. His doctor claimed that he fought against Moorer in heart failure, and could not afford to fight any further. While he recovered from the ailment later, the media pondered if his recovery was connected to the preacher Hinn.

Evander Holyfield Clarifies Preacher Rumors

In a conversation with DJ Vlad, ‘The Real Deal’ Holyfield denied paying the preacher for ‘healing his heart.’ He clarified saying that he never claimed that Hinn saved his life. He explained, “No, I didn’t say that. I didn’t say that.” When Holyfield met the preacher, the latter laid his hand on his chest. Looking back on the encounter, Holyfield said, “Whether or not he healed me, the only thing I was saying was what he said, ‘Go back to the clinic and tell them to check your heart’. And he said that ‘he’s healed’, and we go back.”

He added that when it was checked again the doctors were surprised to learn that his ailment was gone and his heart was recovering. The fighter further clarified that he did not write the cheque to Hinn for ‘healing’ him. Rejecting the rumor, he remarked, ” I had wrote the check for the thing before I even got there.” Despite having hung his gloves after a cardiac illness scare, Evander Holyfield entered the ring yet again, ushering in a new Holyfield era.

The Holyfield Resurgence

After the Mercer fight, Holyfield took a while to get his health in check. But when his medical team cleared him for the reported heart illness, he wasted no time and entered the ring immediately. He undertook the third installment of his Riddick Bowe fight. He lost the trilogy fight, but that did not deter him from moving forward. How could it? He had just emerged back in the ring after a brief moment of angst surrounding a possible retirement from the sport. After the Bowe loss, Holyfield entered another golden period in his boxing career.

Also Read: “How Did I Get the Tough Guy?”: Evander Holyfield Opens Up About the Fight That Could Have “Derailed” His Career

Soon he fought names like Mike Tyson, Lennox Lewis, John Ruiz, and other fames of the heavyweight class. He won most of these fights, a testament to his boxing acumen. He finally hung his gloves in 2011 after defeating Brian Nielsen in a technical knockout.

What do you think of his career trajectory? Let us know in the comments section below.

Watch This Story: 5 Intriguing Facts You Need To Know About Evander Holyfield