17.03.07 – By Kirk Allen: With a little help from a first round head butt, which opened a cut on Vinny Maddalone’s forehead, Evander Holyfield (41-8-2, 27 KO’s), proved too much for the younger fighter, stopping him in the 3rd round at the American Bank Center, in Corpus Christi, Texas.
Holyfield, 44, pressured Maddalone (27-4, 19 KO’s) throughout, landing combinations with pinpoint accuracy and showing overall why he was a previous four-time heavyweight champion. Maddalone gamely fought back hard, at times, despite the blood that was pouring from his cut, but he wasn’t able to match Holyfield’s offensive arsenal and was countered by the older fighter. In round three, with Maddalone seemingly helpless and trapped on the ropes, absorbing terrible punishment from Holyfield, Al Certo, Maddalone’s trainer, stepped in and asked for the fight to be stopped to save his fighter from any more abuse.
Clearly, Maddalone just wasn’t in the same class as Holyfield to begin with. To be sure, before this bout, Maddalone’s best opponent to date was Brian Minto, a decent fighter, no doubt, but hardly at the world class level in which Holyfield has competed at for most of his career. Even worse, Maddalone was beaten twice by Minto, getting knocked out on both occasions. Not too good of a resume for fighting someone like Holyfield, even an age depleted one for that matter. Perhaps if Maddalone had eased his way into a fight with someone like Holyfield, by first fighting a series of fighters that were close to his level, he might have been a little more competitive.
For Holyfield, this is his third consecutive win, having beaten Jeremy Bates and Fres Oquendo, following a nearly two year layoff after a dismal 12-round decision loss against Larry Donald in November 2004. Ultimately, Holyfield hopes to win a part of one of the heavyweight championship titles, if he can get that far.