Evander Holyfield

Evander Holyfield is an American boxer who is the only four-time world heavyweight champion and a former undisputed cruiserweight champion.

Evander Holyfield was born on 19 October 1962 in Atmore, Alabama, the youngest of nine children, and moved with his mother, Annie, to Atlanta, Georgia, at age four after his father left the family. He joined the Boys & Girls Club at eight, where he met Carter Morgan, the coach who first introduced him to boxing, going on to win a bronze medal at light heavyweight at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics following a controversial disqualification in the semi-finals. Holyfield, nicknamed "The Real Deal," turned professional later that year and became undisputed cruiserweight champion by 1988 before moving up to heavyweight, where he won his first title in 1990 by defeating James "Buster" Douglas. He became the only boxer in history to win the heavyweight championship four separate times, defeating the likes of George Foreman, Larry Holmes, and Riddick Bowe across a storied career. Holyfield's two fights against Mike Tyson became among the most talked-about events in sporting history: he won the first by technical knockout in 1996, and the 1997 rematch was infamously overshadowed when Tyson bit off a portion of Holyfield's ear, an incident that led to Tyson's disqualification and remains one of the most notorious moments in boxing history. Holyfield retired with a professional record of 44 wins, 10 losses, and two draws, and was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2017. A devout Christian, he later became a boxing promoter through his company Real Deal Boxing, and briefly returned for an exhibition bout in 2021.

Technical boxer-puncher with exceptional heart and conditioning

One of boxing's greatest champions, only boxer to win heavyweight title four times

• Undisputed cruiserweight champion 1988
• International Boxing Hall of Fame 2017
• 1984 Olympic bronze