It is often said that today’s heavyweight landscape doesn’t compare with that of yesteryear.
One of the greats from days gone by is Evander Holyfield. Until May this year – when his record was matched by Oleksandr Usyk – ‘The Real Deal’ was the only man to ever completely impose himself in both the cruiserweight and heavyweight divisions by winning all major belts. He is generally regarded as one of the best to have ever laced up.
Holyfield’s achievements are even more impressive given that he was often the naturally smaller man in the ring but still packed a punch. Testament to this is the fact he was a first-ballot inductee into the International Boxing Hall of Fame with famous wins over the likes of Buster Douglas to become undisputed heavyweight champion, one over Riddick Bowe in an epic three-fight trilogy, and of course two infamous fights with Mike Tyson.
He also fought two times against one of the biggest heavyweights of his era, Lennox Lewis. They battled it out to a controversial draw in their first encounter but Lewis took the victory on the scorecards when the two met in the rematch.
Speaking to The Ring Magazine, Holyfield was asked to name the strongest of all the men he ever faced and he went for a true Philadelphian legend in ‘Big’ George Foreman.
“Out of all the people, I would say George Foreman was the strongest. And behind him Lennox Lewis and Riddick Bowe.
I could push anybody back, it wasn’t a problem. I couldn’t push George back. (Laughs.) You had to go around him.”
Foreman is a two-time world heavyweight champion who holds the record for being the oldest ever man to lift a title in the division, and Holyfield recently predicted that ‘Big George’ would have beaten ‘Iron’ Mike had the two of them ever met in their primes.
