EVANDER & ME: 27 YEARS AFTER THE FACT!
January 21st, 2011 By Pedro Fernandez
Holyfield, Breland, Taylor, Whitaker, Biggs
San Francisco, CA- The first time I met Evander Holyfield, it was in the dining hall at the US Olympic training center Colorado Springs, CO. Soft spoken, even more so then, “V” as I would come to call him, was as lean and mean as they come. After an unwarranted disqualification in the 1984 Olympics, Bronze medallist Evander Holyfield started his professional career in November 1984 on top of a card with fellow medal winners Mark Breland, Meldrick Taylor, Virgil Hill, Tyrell Biggs and Pernell Whitaker.
EVANDER WAS “BUZZ” OF BOXING WORLD
Even though “V” only got the Bronze, Holyfield dominated the boxing talk after the 1984 games. After leaving the amateurs at 178 lbs., Evander scaled 177 3/4 for his six round shutout of Lionel Bararm. With solid stepping stones like Tyrone Booze, Eric Winbush and Anthony Davis, “V” had only 11 fights (8 KOs) as he went after the former Dwight Braxton, now Dwight Muhammad Qawi, World cruiserweight (190) champ, was coming off a KO 4 of ex-heavyweight champ “Neon Leon” Spinks. After 15 frames in the Omni Arena in Atlanta, with ABC TV televising, hometown hero Holyfield won a SD 15 with scores of 147-138, 144-140, & 143-141 Qawi.
FIGHTS WITH THE BIGGER & STRONGER!
There would be the move to heavyweight and fights with Riddick Bowe, George Foreman, Larry Holmes, Buster Douglas, and of course Mike Tyson. But the point and time I will concentrate on today are the three fights with John Ruiz, the first two of which I shared the television duties with Colonel Bob Sheridan. It was at this juncture in his boxing life that I felt the so-called boxing establishment hinted to Evander that he should go away. After stopping Ruiz with a legal body shot, Johnny saves his own bacon by convincing referee Joe Cortez that he was hit low!
NO RUIZ CIRCUS COMPLETE SANS STONEY!
If that wasn’t enough, Evander let Ruiz’s trainer, one Norman Stone, takeover the post fight press conference.
Johnny Louise and Norman Stone
UNMOTIVATED HOLY CAN’T CLOSE SHOW!
After posting a UD 12 initially, Evander would again take John Ruiz the distance. But this time, Ruiz gets a rather wide call and the UD 12 win. This set up a third fight between Ruiz and Evander. There was no closeness, the fight was not competitive, Ruiz, being the bitch that only he knew how to be, had again conned two judges who ruled the fight a Majority Draw after 12 frames. Don O’Neill, his card was most suspect to me as he had Ruiz up by three! Julie Lederman, had it right and tabbed Holyfield the winner. The man that botched history was Tom Kaczmarek and his 114-114 card!
HOLYFIELD DENIED PERCEIVED PLACE IN HISTORY
You keep hearing Evander mention retirement only upon his again becoming World heavyweight champion again. With that having about as much of a chance of happening as fat folks realizing they have a “pre-existing” medical condition and couldn’t get insurance if they set down the remote control and went looking, there doesn’t seem to be a happy ending waiting for Evander Holyfield. If O’Neill and Kazcmarek had done their jobs in the third Ruiz fight, had Evander not irked the boxing establishment, had they not stolen the title, do you still think he’d be fighting at the age of 48?
WHEN AMERICAN AMATEURS COULD FIGHT A LITTLE!
Before I go, here’s a breakdown of the 1984 US Olympic boxing team.
106: Paul Gonzales, Los Angeles, Calif. (Gold)
112: Steve McCrory, Detroit, Mich. (Gold)
119: Robert Shannon, Edmonds, Wash.
125: Meldrick Taylor, Philadelphia, Pa. (Gold)
132: Pernell Whitaker, Norfolk, Va. (Gold)
139: Jerry Page, Columbus, Ohio (Gold)
147: Mark Breland, Brooklyn, N.Y. (Gold)
156: Frank Tate, Detroit, Mich. (Gold)
165: Virgil Hill, Williston, N.D. (Silver)
178: Evander Holyfield, Atlanta, Ga. (Bronze)
201: Henry Tillman, Los Angeles, Calif. (Gold)
+201: Tyrell Biggs, Philadelphia, Pa. (Gold)
Pedro Fernandez
I agree with Pedro. Evander was never a man to complain. I remember when Evander beat mike the first time, and Showtime had a satelite interview with both of them. Mike seemed to make every excuse in the book, saying he did’nt remember anything about the fight. When Evander was asked to comment on what Mike had to say he actually stuck up for Mike. It’s hard to say what the actual scores should’ve been with Ruiz, as Mr. Ruiz usually fought like a guy high on P.C.P trying to dance the mambo, but I feel E.H. should have won two of em. As far as lewis, I actually think Evander beat him in the rematch, but there was no way they would ever award it to Commander Vander after the first fight (which he clearly lost). As far as him fighting now, I don’t think there is anything wrong with a fighter competing past his prime, as long as his health isn’t in jeopardy, and most of the heavywights of today are in worst shape than he is at 48. When it comes to todays sucky heavywieghts, I’d rather see an old Evander than a fat young Areola, Hoffman, Barret etc. etc. Good luck on Saturday Evander.
Small disagreement about the “unwarranted” Olympic disqualification. It was a pity but not unwarranted. The ref shouted “break” twice, if memory serves, and Evander belted him a solid shot anyway. Whether the other guy was acting or not can’t be known. The blow was rerun 100s of times on TV, and one thing it did do for Evander was show everyone what a great left hook he had!
YES…YES… HELL YES!!!
Screw ‘think’ … I KNOW Evander Holyfield would still be fighting!!!
I think Ruiz is guilty of many things re Holyfield. He is guilty of making my eyes bleed. He is guilty of proving to me that someone CAN fight one of the most exciting, GREAT HW’s of a generation, for 36 rounds… And make all 108 minutes of the process completely unwatchable.
But Ruiz not guilty of anything Holyfield has done before or after the fact. Nor should he be brought to task.
I think I speak for all Holyfield observers when I say… The trilogy with John Ruiz … NEVER HAPPENED.
One important note about the 84′ Games, the Cubans, the Ruskies, and their Warsaw Pact comrades were absent. Still a talented team however.
How do you think (if the US chose to attend) the 1980 US Olympic boxing team would have done in Moscow? I was a wee little lad and was just really getting into the sport around that time.
Had the USA competed in 1980, we would have at least seen one gold from Donald Curry. He was something at that time.
I don’t think Holyfield was jobbed. It was just a bad break. Obviously wasn;t an intentional foul and the ref wasn’t really emphatic or quick enough … but I’ve seen worse in the pro’s. For what it’s worth AFAIK Holyfield was 0-2 vs. Pablo Romero and it is far from certain he would have won a gold if the 84 Games were fully attended so it sort of evens out and the misfortune probably motivated Holyfield even more in his pro career.