Evander Holyfield weighed in on the Anthony Joshua vs Oleksandr Usyk fight. The two heavyweights will face each other in the ring on September 25. This fight marks Joshua’s mandatory title defense after winning the belts back.
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In an interview with Behind The Gloves on YouTube, Michelle Joy Phelps asks Holyfield his opinions on the fight. With Oleksandr Usyk moving up in weight from cruiserweight to heavyweight, Holyfield gave his thoughts on the fight.
“Oh, tough fight, you know, he was a cruiserweight, now he coming to heavyweight. Only way you ever gonna do it is fight a heavyweight, and he fighting a good one, and so it gon be tough. I believe he can do it”
When asked about a specific prediction, Holyfield said, “No, no, no, the fact of the matter is if you do the right things you know, everything is about confidence. If you do the right thing, you win”
Anthony Joshua vs Oleksandr Usyk
Unified Champion Undisputed King
At Heavyweight At Cruiserweight pic.twitter.com/nTpT5aRsi3— Michael Benson (@MichaelBensonn) September 20, 2021
Evander ‘The Real Deal’ Holyfield, arguably one of the greatest heavyweight and cruiserweight champions of the world, dethroned Iron ‘Mike’ Tyson. Fans considered Holyfield the underdog throughout his career. So it makes sense that he backs Usyk, who goes into the fight against Anthony ‘AJ’ Joshua as the underdog.
Holyfield himself fought in his comeback fight against Vitor Belfort on September 11.
Also read: Mike Tyson Claims Cus D’Amato’s Death Improved Major Aspect of His Game
Fans and boxers alike share their concern for Evander Holyfield
The novelty of celebrity boxing matches gained a lot of popularity this past year. However, many fans, boxers, and analysts felt the Evander Holyfield vs Vitor ‘The Phenom’ Belfort fight took it too far. Many fans expressed their concern for Holyfield, who took the fight on less than a week’s notice.
David Haye on Vitor Belfort knocking out Evander Holyfield: "It was horrible to see… He just blasted him out. I was like, 'What are you doing? He's 58.' And he was celebrating like he's done something impressive. Different people have different values of respect." [@IFLTV]
— Michael Benson (@MichaelBensonn) September 12, 2021
At the age of 58, fighting someone 14 years younger than you does not seem like a good idea. That’s exactly how the match went down, Holyfield landed just one punch and got knocked down twice in the very first round. Fans questioned how the Florida State Athletic Commission sanctioned the fight after the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) refused to give Holyfield a license to fight.
Evander Holyfield is turning 59 years old next month. He hasn’t fought in 10 years. He wasn’t scheduled to fight as of two weeks ago. Whoever sanctioned this should be arrested. https://t.co/T0vRylF61s
— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) September 12, 2021
The CSAC refused to let Holyfield fight, stating his diminished skills and old age. Holyfield took the fight on less than a week’s notice, and Triller shifted the fight to Florida since the CSAC denied Holyfield a boxing license. Do you think Holyfield should have been allowed to fight?
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