By Ronnie Nathanielsz

 

International promoter Murad Muhammad says former four-time world heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield is "not the white hope, he is not the black hope, he is the hope of America in bringing the heavyweight titles back to the shores of North America."

 

Murad who is promoting the November 10 heavyweight showdown between Holyfield who is determined to win the world heavyweight crown for an unprecedented five times and reigning WBO Latino heavyweight champion Fres Oquendo at the Alamadome in San Antonio, Texas made the statement following a sweep of the current heavyweight titles by European fighters.

 

Giant Russian Nikolai Valuev is the WBA champion, Oleg Maskaev of Kazakhstan is the WBC king, IBF champion Wladirmi Klitschko is from the Ukraine and WBO champion Serguei Lyakhvoich is from Belarus.

 

Holyfield broke training camp yesterday to watch the Atlanta Falcons-New York Giants football game as a special guest of the Fox Sports Network which will carry the Holyfield-Oquendo fight "live" on cable as well as pay-per-view. Unfortunately Holyfield’s presence cheering for the Falcons down in the field didn’t help as they were beaten by the Giants prompting the former heavyweight champion to remark "we are not losers, its just a setback."

 

Murad Muhammad is back promoting big-time fights after a sometimes bitter dispute with the camp of Filipino ring idol Manny Pacquiao that saw Murad reach an out-of-court settlement and a parting of the ways. Murad and Pacquiao’s business manager Rod Nazario are largely credited for the success of the devastating puncher from General Santos City having steered Pacquiao to the IBF junior featherweight title against Lelohonolo Ledwaba and his memorable demolition of Marco Antonio Barrera, ending with the big money first fight against Erik "El Terrible" Morales.