Evander Holyfield won his first heavyweight world title with relative ease, but it was before the fight that everyone knew how the fight would go.
Evander Holyfield had become a cruiserweight world champion, and, after 18 fights in the lower division, moved up to heavyweight.
After accruing six wins to his name in the glamor division, Holyfield was set to face the most fearsome champion of them all – Mike Tyson.
However, there was one person that got in the way of that fight from happening – James ‘Buster’ Douglas.
Buster Douglas’ out-of-shape appearance caused influx of Evander Holyfield bets
In 1990, Holyfield, who KO’d Brian Nielsen at the end of his career, was set to face Douglas, who was making his first defense of the IBF, WBC, and WBA heavyweight titles.
Douglas had weighed 231lbs for his fight with Tyson, but ballooned up to 246 for his fight with a 208-pound Holyfield, who made Hasim Rahman’s head swell.
According to BoxRec, oddsmaker Jimmy Vaccaro said Douglas 14-pound increase and appearance at the weigh-in led to “over $150,000 was bet in one hour, and 90 percent of it was bet on Holyfield.”
Holyfield’s co-trainer Lou Duva, said: “Roll him in and carry him out.”
Holyfield got Douglas, who advised Deontay Wilder’s next opponent, out of there within three rounds, cementing himself as a heavyweight champion.
Evander Holyfield was KO’d by UFC fighter in unsuccessful ring return
At the age of 58, Holyfield returned to the ring in an exhibition boxing match against UFC fighter Vitor Belfort.
Belfort was originally meant to face Oscar De La Hoya, who withdrew after contracting COVID-19.
Holyfield stepped in, and surely soon wished he hadn’t, as Belfort knocked him out in the very first round, with Holyfield’s age and inactivity clearly catching up to him.