Tonight Evander Holyfield steps back in the ring. The 46 year-old claims to fight on because it is the will of God, but everyone paying attention knows that it's primarily the will of his creditors.
The former champion's latest payday comes against the seven foot Russian Nikolai Valuev just minutes from now in in Zurich, Switzerland on pay-per-view. Needless to say, if you did order this fight then you are basically contributing to the fund to mentally cripple one of the best athletes of his generation. Fortunately for Holyfield's head, and all of us who would prefer to not see him develop into a punch-drunk shell of his former self, Valuev isn't the ferocious puncher you might see at first glance. In fact, Valuev hasn't registered a knockout in two years, an 11th round stoppage of Monte Barrett.
For Holyfield to have any success against the heavily favored giant he'll have to stick and move like in the old days when he was stepping up from the cruiserweight division. Whether his middle age body still has the stamina to pull off such a strategy is highly doubtful, and he'll probably wind up trying to out-slug a man who outweighs him by 95 pounds. If he can pull off the upset as a 4/1 underdog Holyfield will become champion for the fifth time.
Pray for Evander. You know he'd pray for you.
Bad Left Hook has the tale of the tape as well as their fantastic round-by-round coverage.