Evander Holyfield is returning to the ring at age 46 because he wants to become undisputed heavyweight champion again.
Holyfield will fight 2.13m WBA champion Nikolai Valuev next month, aiming to become the oldest man to claim a world heavyweight title and the first to win it five times.
“My goal is to be undisputed champion not just to win one title,’’ Holyfield said at a news conference yesterday in Zurich, Switzerland, where the fight will take place on Dec. 20.
PHOTO: AFP
“I think people make too much about age,” he said. “I haven’t fought in a year but I will be ready.”
Holyfield underwent five hours of medical tests in Germany on Monday to show he was ready for the physical challenge of facing the Russian champion, who is likely to take a 45kg advantage into the ring.
Holyfield, who had his license to box in New York state revoked three years ago, said he could do no more to reassure people worried about his health.
“They will have to see the fight and know for themselves,” he said. “I have taken care of myself and if I couldn’t fight then I wouldn’t fight.”
Holyfield said he never expected to be “the old guy” in the ring, recalling that his first defense after becoming undisputed champion in 1990 was a points victory against 42-year-old George Foreman.
“I didn’t want to fight him,” Holyfield said. “My manager said he [Foreman] earned his shot so do it. I did and it was a tough fight.”
Holyfield has reunited with his first professional manager, Ken Sanders, to try to regain the WBA title he last lost in 2000 to John Ruiz.
Sanders said the fighter’s publicized financial problems were solved and he was coming back for a title shot rather than the money.
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