by James Slater: Currently in the news due to his quite shocking financial troubles, former four-time heavyweight king Evander Holyfield is a guy who should instead be living a life with no such worries. How can it be that (reportedly, anyway) “The Real Deal,” a fighter who has earned millions of $$$ in a Hall of Fame career, is almost broke?
Apparently, Evander owes money in unpaid child support and has a loan, that was used to landscape his mansion’s grounds, to clear also. This is not a good time in the life of the all-time great, that’s for sure. The question is, with these woes on his mind right now, will Holyfield fight once again?
Over the past few years, when the 45-year-old continued to fight against the wishes of a lot of people, the thought never really registered that his continuing may have been because he was in need of cash. Assumed by most to be well invested and secure financially, the reason Holyfield fought on was because he simply loved the sport so much and dearly wanted to wind up his great career as a champion. Now we are not so sure. Were Holyfield’s reasons of a financial need, as opposed to a desire to add to his legacy?
It looks as though Evander was boxing on in a bid to clear debts that at the time were not known about by the general public. But here’s the thing; if Holyfield announces an upcoming fight any time soon, will the fans want to see it? If he’s fighting for no other reason than to clear his debts – as was the case with Mike Tyson by the time of his fight with Kevin McBride – who could get behind him and cheer him on to further glory? With Tyson, heart was no longer put fully into the effort of fighting when it was for money and money only. Will this be the case with Holyfield?
Sure, all fighters fight for money. But money ONLY? No, there also has to be a noble cause behind their desire to risk it in the ring. Getting behind Evander Holyfield and rooting for him was never a problem in the past. Evander was fighting for the glory of God, the glory of his legacy and for the glory of himself. As such, the fans loved him and their hearts went out to him. But now, if the current reports can be believed and Holyfield has basically been fighting only for money, who will be able to avoid having a slightly empty feeling when watching him fight in the future?
Of course, this is assuming Evander does actually box again. Aside from his money problems, should the veteran be risking fighting again from a health standpoint? Let’s face it, Holyfield has not won a really meaningful fight for some years now. Beaten last time out by Sultan Ibragimov – in what was surely “The Real Deal’s” final title fight – the 45-year-old looked all used up. And even going into that fight Evander had trouble in making the fans give his latest comeback credibility.
What will these same fans think now, when the all-time great, if he does box again, will likely only be doing so to pay off debts? It’s hardly the glorious ending to his career Holyfield envisaged, is it?