The Unreal Deal

Despite the beating he took from James Toney in Las Vegas last weekend, former four-time world heavyweight boxing champion Evander Holyfield isn’t likely to hang up his gloves–at least not in the near future.

That’s because the Real Deal can’t afford to quit. He’s got a lot of mouths to feed and a $20 Million, 54,000-square foot mansion with a bowling alley to maintain. For Holyfield, boxing is his only means of livelihood. Without it, he’s lost.

In a pro career that started in 1984, Holyfield has grossed about $230 Million–including the $5 Million paycheck he pocketed for facing Toney. A few years ago, his estate was valued at $90 Million.

Holyfield’s inability to restrain himself from womanizing is a sickness that will ultimately drag him to bankruptcy. He paid off his first wife Paulette–with whom he has three children–to settle a divorce case that was triggered by charges of infidelity. The amount was rumored to be $4 Million. They were together for about six years.

Holyfield’s second wife Dr. Janice Itson, an internist who specializes in pain management, wasn’t as easy to disengage. She sued Holyfield for a big chunk of his assets. The good doctor also accused Holyfield of infidelity, something he couldn’t deny after admitting he fathered five children out of wedlock with four different women during his second marriage. The talk was Holyfield agreed to a settlement of over half the value of his estate. She walked away with an incredible deal.

In all, Holyfield has nine children–three with his first wife, one with his second (he insisted the child wasn’t his and submitted to a DNA test only to be proved wrong) and five others.

To his credit, Holyfield has provided for his children and former wives. He has never turned his back on them.

Last July, Holyfield took a third wife, 24-year-old nursing student Candi Calvana Smith.

World Boxing Council heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis, who beat and drew with Holyfield in two fights, called the 40-year-old veteran a hypocrite for professing to be an upright Christian when his history of philandering is an open secret.

Let’s face it, Holyfield is no Real Deal. Lewis is right–the guy’s a fake. In his autobiography "The Humble Warrior," Holyfield quotes passages from the Bible like some holy prophet and declares his faith in God. There is no mention in the book about Holyfield’s insatiable lust.

Worse, Holyfield has always made himself out to be a gentleman athlete when in reality, he’s in the same league as Mike Tyson and Andrew Golota. Holyfield’s been accused of deliberately butting, rubbing liniment on his gloves to blur opponents’ vision, hitting on the break, and punching below the belt. Against Hasim Rahman, he used his head to create a grotesque swelling on the left temple the size of a golfball–prompting a stoppage of the fight. Tyson was repeatedly butted by Holyfield and in retaliation, resorted to biting his ear twice, causing Iron Mike’s disqualification.

Holyfield had no chance to use dirty tactics against Toney because referee Jay Nady was on to him. Toney, the reigning International Boxing Federation (IBF) cruiserweight titlist, toyed with Holyfield and blasted him into submission in the ninth round.

Holyfield tumbled to the canvas to signal the end. It was his fifth-ever trip to the floor.He had previously been decked by Bert Cooper, Riddick Bowe twice and John Ruiz.

Toney, 35, turned Holyfield into a punching bag. With trainer Freddie Roach in his corner, Toney unraveled a fightplan that exposed Holyfield’s limitations. Hardly showing any foot movement, Holyfield was a standing target for Toney’s lightning-quick combinations. And Holyfield just couldn’t hit Toney–known for his excellent defense–squarely despite an advantage in height and reach.

Holyfield showed his age in failing to dominate Toney like he used to overpower opponents in the past. He was slow-footed. His punches lacked sting. His defense was porous. Toney took Holyfield apart bit by bit in a methodical display of ring craftsmanship.

Holyfield had hoped to parlay a convincing win over Toney to arrange a megabuck third encounter with Tyson who hasn’t beaten him in two meetings. Now his future as a marquee box office draw is uncertain.

As for Toney, he’s itching for a rematch with World Boxing Association heavyweight king Roy Jones, Jr. In 1994, Jones decked Toney once enroute to pounding out a lopsided unanimous 12-round decision to retain his IBF supermiddleweight crown. The only other

fighter to floor Toney was Reggie Johnson. Toney has lost only four fights in a career that began in 1988. All were on points and two were disputed majority verdicts.

Holyfield has won only twice in his last eight fights. When he lost to Ruiz, Holyfield blamed a busted eardrum. When he lost to Chris Byrd, Holyfield blamed a torn rotator cuff. Thank goodness, when he lost to Toney, Holyfield offered no excuses.

The writing is clearly on the wall. Holyfield has outlived his usefulness as a fighter. He only has himself to blame for his setbacks, in and out of the ring. Holyfield will only invite life-threatening disaster if he continues fighting. Retirement isn’t just inevitable–it’s become imperative for the Unreal Deal.