By Ronnie Nathanielsz
Four-time former heavyweight champion Evander “The Real Deal” Holyfield (42-10-2, 27 KO’s) fights South Africa’s “White Buffalo” Francois Botha (47-4-3, 28 KO’s) for the less-than-prestigious World Boxing Federation heavyweight title in Uganda on the tentative date of January 16 [postponement rumors continue].
BBC Sport reports that the organizers at Kampala's Nambole Stadium claimed both boxers had signed contracts and predicted a crowd of 80,000.
The 47 year old Holyfield hasn’t fought since losing a controversial decision to WBA champion Nikolai Valuev, the Russian giant in December 2008 in Zurich. Valuev subsequently lost the title to Britain’s former world cruiserweight champion David Haye .
Holyfield is determined to keep fighting until he wins a legitimate world title from one of the more prestigious and recognized boxing organizations but he refused to minimize the worthiness of the WBF title. BBC Sport quoted Holyfield ad saying “I am going to win and I will cherish the WBF title.” He added "I'm very much looking forward to going to Uganda and I expect a tough fight against Francois Botha. “
South Africa's Botha is a tough fighter who appeared to have the better of Mike Tyson when he got careless and walked into a punch that took him out with one second left in the fifth round at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on January 16, 1999 . He also lost to former champions Lennox Lewis, Wladimir Klitschko and Michael Moorer .
Botha won the WBF title with a comfortable win over Ron Guerrero of Texas last February and then made a successful defense with a split decision victory over Timo Hoffman in May, and retained the belt with a majority draw against Pedro Carrion last October.
Botha told BBC Sport "I have always been my own harshest critic, and my performance against Carrion was arguably the worst of my career.
"Expect the fittest, toughest and best ever Francois Botha in Uganda in January. I owe my fans and members of Team Botha the performance of my life. I intend to make good on that."
