NEVADA GRANTS HOLYFIELD LICENSE FOR ONE FIGHT
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 05 Mar 2010
The Nevada State Athletic Commission has granted former four-time heavyweight champion Evander “Real Deal” Holyfield a license “for just one bout” according to executive director Keith Kizer.
That fight is expected to be against former world title challenger Francois Botha of South Africa who is nicknamed “The White Buffalo.”
The tentative date for Holyfield’s return is April 17 and the fight venue is most likely to be the Orleans Casino in Las Vegas.
Holyfield’s last fight was a controversial loss to the Russian giant Nikolai Valuev. He has at one time or another held the WBA, WBC and IBF titles.
The 47 year old Holyfield has a record of 42-10-2 with 27 knockouts while Botha is 41 and sports a record of 47-4-3 with 28 knockouts.
Holyfield lost in a controversial majority decision to the 7 foot WBA champion Valuev, regarded as the “Beast from the East” on December 20, 2008 in Zurich, Switzerland. Valuev subsequently lost his title in a unanimous twelve round decision to Britain’s David Haye.
Holyfield also dropped a unanimnous twelve round decision to Sultan Ibragimov in a WBO title fight on October 13, 2007.
Botha has won his last four fights and is the reigning World Boxing Foundation champion. He fought and lost to probably two of the best heavyweights in recent years. He lost by a 2nd round TKO to Britain’s Lennox Lewis on July 15, 2000 and also by TKO to Wladimir Klitschko in a WBO heavyweight title fight on March 16, 2001.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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