Evander Holyfield went into his comeback at 58 not knowing the intentions of his opponent, who had initially been preparing to face Oscar De La Hoya.
Holyfield stepped in at late notice to face Vitor Belfort, a formidable former MMA star who was fourteen years his junior at the time. Unlike former rival Mike Tyson, who returned this Friday night, Holyfield only had a few days to prepare after De La Hoya had pulled out from illness.
Kathy Duva, who promoted Holyfield during his later years as a professional, told World Boxing News that ‘The Real Deal’ was unaware the exhibition would be so full-blooded.
Belfort had bad intentions from the start and, with Holyfield caught off guard, took out the two-weight world champion in 109 seconds.
Ahead of Tyson bidding to defeat 27-year-old Jake Paul, Duva outlined the situation with Holyfield and Belfort.
“Vitor Belfort was a more formidable opponent [than Paul is]. And I don’t know if Evander was totally expecting that at that moment. I think he thought he was there for an exhibition and, in his mind, nobody gets hurt. Whereas Belfort came in to take his head off. I don’t know if it would have ended that way if Evander knew what was coming. We’ll never know,” Duva told WBN exclusively.
On the controversial Paul vs Tyson fight potentially going the same way, Duva added, “I don’t know that Jake Paul has the wherewithal to injure Mike Tyson.”
Speaking at the final press conference this week, Tyson assured everyone in the sport who fears his return that there’s nothing to worry about.
“I’m just ready to fight. I’ve said everything I had to say. There’s nothing else to say. I’m just looking forward to fighting,” said Tyson. He concluded, “I’m not going to lose.”
Jake Paul [10-1, 7 KOs] and the ‘Baddest Man on the Planet’ Mike Tyson [50-6, 44 KOs] trade blows this Friday night on Netflix. In the co-feature, undisputed super lightweight champion Katie Taylor [23-1, 6 KOs] and unified featherweight champion Amanda “The Real Deal” Serrano [47-2-1, 31 KOs] battle in the most-anticipated women’s boxing rematch in history.
Additional fighters showcased included Mario Barrios, Abel Ramos, Neeraj Goyat, Whindersson Nunes, Shadasia Green, Melinda Watpool, Lucas Bahdi, Armando Casamonica, Shu Shu Carrington Jr., and Dana Coolwell.
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Read all articles and exclusive interviews by Phil Jay. Learn more about the author, experienced boxing writer, and World Boxing News Editor since 2010. Follow on Twitter @PhilJWBN.