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Holyfield preparing for fifth world title
Four times world heavyweight boxing champion Evander Holyfield wants to win the coveted title for the fifth time.
- Indo-Asian News Service
- Updated: February 25, 2007 09:05 AM IST
Read Time:2 min
Mumbai:
The 'humble warrior' and four times world heavyweight boxing champion Evander Holyfield wants to win the coveted title for the fifth time irrespective of being in his late thirties. "I am making preparations to win the heavyweight boxing title for the fifth time even before thinking of retiring from the sport," Holyfield, who had a stop over in the city before proceeding to Hyderabad to visit the Paul's Charity City, told reporters today. "People say that I am getting old but I want to prove them wrong by winning the title for the fifth time. However, nobody wants to fight me and I don't know who my next opponent would be," he said. Claiming that his first ever visit to India was purely for charity purposes and not to promote himself or the sport, Holyfield said "I was a street kid before I became something through boxing. I also had just one parent (mother), who brought me up and I have seen lots of hardship, including poverty, during my childhood. "Boxing helped me to achieve something in my life and I feel it is my duty to give back something to the crores of poor children all over the world," the boxer, who got a record 100 million USD to fight another former world champion Mike Tyson in 1997, said. Holyfield earlier had shocked the world when he knocked-out Tyson in the 11th round in 1996, but the rematch next year proved a bit too costly as Tyson, who was at the receiving end for most part of their rematch, bit-off one of Holyfield's ears which resulted in Tyson being disqualified. After this infamous fight called "the bite fight" Global Peace president Dr K A Paul (an Indian) led Holyfield in a special prayers to forgive Tyson for the grave injury which the great boxer did publicly and personally. The soft spoken American boxer said during his mission to help street children get better life, he does not encourage boys to take up boxing. (PTI)Topics mentioned in this article
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