Evander Holyfield retired with 10 losses, but there was one in particular that was so bad, Holyfield almost never boxed again as his license was suspended.
In 2003, six years after his wins over Mike Tyson and two years after the conclusion of his trilogy with John Ruiz, Evander Holyfield faced 66-4-2 James Toney.
Holyfield lost by stoppage in one of just two KO losses on his record, but it was his next fight, intended to be a comeback fight, that had fans questioning if Holyfield’s time in the sport was over.
Evander Holyfield’s license was suspended after losing to Larry Donald
In 2004, Holyfield faced 41-3-2 Larry Donald. Donald had lost to Vitali Klitschko a few fights prior and was a credible opponent.
Holyfield, who was accused of cheating by Bobby Czyz, did not look good, and Dan Rafael of USA Today wrote:
“From the outset, Holyfield had nothing. His legs betrayed him in the first round when he hit the canvas on a slip and then was wobbled with a glancing right to the head in the second round. It never got any better.”
The judges scored the fight 119-109, 119-109, 118-109.
Holyfield’s performance was so bad, so far removed from his legendary fights with Lennox Lewis, Mike Tyson, Michael Moorer, and more, that his license was suspended.
An article in The Washington Post read: “Former heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield was barred from fighting in New York by the state’s athletic commission because of ‘poor performance and diminished skills’ in recent fights.”
Holyfield failed to impress against Nikolai Valuev years later, too.
Evander Holyfield’s next fight saw his first win in four years
After losing consecutively to Chris Byrd, James Toney, and Larry Donald, Holyfield absolutely needed a win if his career was to continue.
Almost two years after his loss to Donald, Holyfield returned against 21-11-1 Jeremy Bates. Bates had 10 wins and 10 losses in his last 20 fights, and beat only two opponents with winning records in that time.
Holyfield scored his first knockout in nine years as he put Bates down in the second. He fought for years after. Holyfield KO’d Brian Nielsen in his final fight.