The Appeal of the Real Deal at Lunes A Cafe

Tuesday became Monday for the World Boxing Council`s coffee break, but what an early treat, as the Great Evander ”Real Deal” Holyfield sat by WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman at the podium inside the grand portals of Sport and Chips, Coyocan, Mexico City, affably chatting and genially fielding, plus batting batteries of questions with the ease and poise  of Babe Ruth. 

The first ever undisputed Cruiserweight and then heavyweight champion, who held that heavyweight title aloft four times, was in fine fettle, and elegant trim, looking fighting fit and as sharp and alert as a university Don. 

Evander said his hero and inspiration was The Greatest Muhammad Ali as his coach told him as much. He started aged eight but had some experience as his sisters were ready and willing to tussle or put the gloves on.  Initially he was nervous and obviously didn`t enjoy getting hit. But quickly learned the lesson of hitting first and fastest.  His Mum inspired and encouraged him to stick at everything in life and never give up. It`s an ethos which forever after happily stayed with the child, youth, young man and man Evander became.  He stressed that in everything he sets his mind to and does, he`s determined to try his best and utmost to achieve the best, in order to reach the goal you`ve set yourself. 

Inevitably asked about today`s heavyweight division Evander paused and lamented that everyone isn`t fighting each other at the right time nowadays, but hopes eternal that eventually…it will revert to the best fighting the best at the most opportune moment. 

Evander praises Oleksandr Usyk admitting on a trip to Russia he didn`t initially recognize him. But was proud when Usyk promised to exactly and exactingly follow in his footsteps trying to emulate the same stellar career path, to become undisputed at cruiser and heavyweight. Mission accomplished thanks to the template. 

He is supporting the candidacy of Gennady Golovkin for the Presidency of World Boxing, stressing that amateur boxing is vital for the health, wellbeing and future of the sport.  And that Triple G has very good qualifications both in the amateur and pro spheres to do a very fine job.

Evander won a bronze medal in the 1984 Olympic Games and  urges organizers in boxing to understand the importance of unity and team work, remembering he and his colleagues for training and working together for a year before the opening ceremony. With coaches advising them of who was likely to qualify and be their probable opponents and to study them with great plus meticulous care. 

In Evander`s pro career some of his most exacting opponents and rivals were considerably bigger and heavier than him.  George Foreman, Riddick Bowe, Lennox Lewis and of course Nikolai Valuev come to mind. Evander stressed this is the essence of boxing in that it involves hit but not getting hit. Moving, weaving, parrying, ducking and evading once you`ve got your punch in. He also smiled: ”You invariably know how hard you`ve been hit, but not so often how hard you`ve hit them. Yet a professional person does a professional job. The advice is…don`t take the shots.”

Yet when Evander successfully defended his WBC, WBA and IBF heavyweight title against Big George Foreman on April 19th 1991, there were points in the fight, especially in the middle rounds when Evander unloaded and inflicted everything on George including the kitchen sink in what was dubbed: ”The Battle Of The Ages.” And George weathered the withering storm and then returned the firepower compliment with gusto.  Evander said: ”It`s all about a person who doesn`t give up on themselves. Sure…I hit George with all those shots, he took them and then I had to move. This is the whole hearted essence of boxing. And there`s more than one way to defeat somebody. Often there are two or three ways. You have to think a lot to be a great boxer.”

Accordingly Evander is very proud to have his image displayed on current WBC Cares posters, with the current punchline which reads; LEGACY.