HOLLYWOOD, FLA. (WSVN) - Former undisputed heavyweight champion of the world Evander Holyfield hasn’t stepped into the ring for a sanctioned boxing match in nearly 10 years.
He’s never stopped training, 12 rounds a day, five days a week.
“You’ve got one fight in you,” he said. “You always keep one fight in you.”
That one fight for the 58-year-old could soon be against 54-year-old Mike Tyson.
The two fighters made up one of boxing’s best rivalries in the 90s.
“They see me train, they’ve seen him train and everybody kind of matched together,” Holyfield said. “This will be good.”
The proposed trilogy between Holyfield and Tyson — with a combined age of 112 — would be for a possible eight or 10 round exhibition.
Holyfield watched Tyson’s recent exhibition against 51-year-old Roy Jones Jr. that ended in a draw.
The 58-year-old already knows how he would fight Tyson again.
“What I had done worked,” he said. “Keep that same mind in: be aggressive, don’t stay back too far, don’t give him a chance.”
Tyson’s last sanctioned fight was more than 15 years ago.
He said he wants to go toe to toe against Holyfield again.
Holyfield’s promoter said venues around the world want to host this mega event, not to mention TV buys.
“Holyfield, Tyson III would be the biggest pay-per-view boxing event in the history of the sport,” said boxing promoter Kris Lawrence. “Those were the two best fighters of their era and everybody loved those guys.”
Holyfield spoke to 7Sports about the last time he fought Tyson saying he couldn’t believe what happened during that June 1997 rematch.
“Holyfield bit by a dirty Mike Tyson,” an announcer at the event said.
“Anywhere that I go, people see me, they’re going to say something about Mike,” Holyfield said. “The fact of the matter is things happen and people who are able to forgive are the ones who tend to come out better. Mike and I talked, we do things together and we come together and make the event even bigger.”
Both camps are in serious talks to work out the details for this proposed exhibition. It could happen as early as Spring or Summer and don’t be surprised if it’s held right here in South Florida.
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