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Evander Holyfield interview with atlantablackstar:
Former four-time heavyweight boxing champion Evander Holyfield, in a wide-ranging interview with Atlanta Blackstar, said boxing is so corrupt that the sport’s silent, nameless authorities would determine the outcome of a Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao bout, should it ever happen, and not the fighters.
“Boxing chooses who boxing wants to win,” Holyfield said. “That’s just how it is.
“Generally, it’s a pick ‘em fight,” he added. “But if they want Floyd to win, he’ll win. If they want Manny to win, he’ll win.”
Holyfield said Mayweather likely is considering the unseemly side of boxing in his decision to fight Pacquiao, a match much of the boxing world has craved for several years.
“I don’t think it’s too late,” Holyfield, 52, said. “It’s two guys who take care of themselves. If you want to know about Mayweather, he takes care of his body, even though he’s a night owl…Pacquiao, he really doesn’t have anything to lose. Floyd is the one who has everything to lose because he doesn’t want to lose. When you’ve already lost, what difference does it make? But Floyd wants to be undefeated (for his career). Now it comes down to if he’s going to risk it all for this one (fight).
“It’s a big risk because you know what the game of boxing is. The game of boxing is one of those things where if they don’t want Mayweather to win they just won’t give it to him. He realizes that. And (then his) record is gone down the drain. I don’t think he’s afraid. He recognizes that in boxing, people do what they want to do. And they just say, ‘You lost.’ They cheat people. Who hasn’t been cheated (in boxing)?”
Holyfield did not specify who would determine the winner and how they would assure that fighter would be the victor. But he pointed to fights in history, including his own 2001 12-round decision loss to John Ruiz, as an example.
“It was kinda sad when it came down to fighting Ruiz that the promoter can think, ‘Oh, if we had a Spanish-speaking heavyweight, what would we do?’ They found out (people) didn’t like him because they like winners. . . When it comes down to boxing, (fans) don’t want a fluke. They don’t want somebody who really can’t fight, somebody you know is gonna get tore up. And that’s what (Ruiz) did. When he got there, Roy Jones (a blown up light-heavyweight) beat him. It shows you that a little guy like (beat him) that that they didn’t have the right guy. But they opened the door for him (to be champ with the controversial decision). Then (Ruiz) found out he couldn’t fight on that level and he didn’t want to fight anymore.”
To further his point, Holyfield brought up Larry Holmes, who was cruising along undefeated in his career until he said in an interview that Rocky Marciano “couldn’t hold my jock.”
“Larry Holmes was gonna break that record,” Holyfield said, “but they took it from him. Nobody said nothing because it was a Black (man), because it was (Michael) Spinks who won. Spinks didn’t beat him. But they gave it to him. They made up an excuse that (Holmes) shouldn’t have said (anything) about Rocky Marciano.
“I’m sure Floyd thinks about it: Shoot, man, these people (in boxing) do anything they want to do. So he’s thinking, ‘Do I want to risk $100 million for them to take (the decision) away from me?’”
In a straight up fight with no outside influences, Holyfield seemed to lean toward Mayweather, but only if “he fights his fight.”
“I think it will happen. It’s a matter of money,” Holyfield, the only four-time heavyweight champion in boxing history, said. “They’ve waited a long time. They need to do it before somebody just gives up on it. I heard they offered Floyd $100 million. People talk.
“Whoever fights their fight will win. If Floyd boxes and is able to box the whole time and Manny can’t trap him, Floyd will win. If Manny is able to corner him and with the angle Manny throws punches, it would be a difficult fight.
“But I saw Floyd fight Sugar Shane Mosley. He hurt Floyd, and Floyd stopped moving and ****** him up. So it’s obvious Floyd hits harder than people give him credit. I’ve never seen anyone try to run through Floyd. On Manny side, he’s gonna be all right (even if he loses). All he’s gonna do is grin and say, ‘I gave my all.’ Manny’s gonna fight hard if they (paid) him nothing. And he won’t make no excuses. And people who don’t make no excuses are the ones who can bounce back.”
Source Link: http://atlantablackstar.com/2015/01/...fight-happens/
Former four-time heavyweight boxing champion Evander Holyfield, in a wide-ranging interview with Atlanta Blackstar, said boxing is so corrupt that the sport’s silent, nameless authorities would determine the outcome of a Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao bout, should it ever happen, and not the fighters.
“Boxing chooses who boxing wants to win,” Holyfield said. “That’s just how it is.
“Generally, it’s a pick ‘em fight,” he added. “But if they want Floyd to win, he’ll win. If they want Manny to win, he’ll win.”
Holyfield said Mayweather likely is considering the unseemly side of boxing in his decision to fight Pacquiao, a match much of the boxing world has craved for several years.
“I don’t think it’s too late,” Holyfield, 52, said. “It’s two guys who take care of themselves. If you want to know about Mayweather, he takes care of his body, even though he’s a night owl…Pacquiao, he really doesn’t have anything to lose. Floyd is the one who has everything to lose because he doesn’t want to lose. When you’ve already lost, what difference does it make? But Floyd wants to be undefeated (for his career). Now it comes down to if he’s going to risk it all for this one (fight).
“It’s a big risk because you know what the game of boxing is. The game of boxing is one of those things where if they don’t want Mayweather to win they just won’t give it to him. He realizes that. And (then his) record is gone down the drain. I don’t think he’s afraid. He recognizes that in boxing, people do what they want to do. And they just say, ‘You lost.’ They cheat people. Who hasn’t been cheated (in boxing)?”
Holyfield did not specify who would determine the winner and how they would assure that fighter would be the victor. But he pointed to fights in history, including his own 2001 12-round decision loss to John Ruiz, as an example.
“It was kinda sad when it came down to fighting Ruiz that the promoter can think, ‘Oh, if we had a Spanish-speaking heavyweight, what would we do?’ They found out (people) didn’t like him because they like winners. . . When it comes down to boxing, (fans) don’t want a fluke. They don’t want somebody who really can’t fight, somebody you know is gonna get tore up. And that’s what (Ruiz) did. When he got there, Roy Jones (a blown up light-heavyweight) beat him. It shows you that a little guy like (beat him) that that they didn’t have the right guy. But they opened the door for him (to be champ with the controversial decision). Then (Ruiz) found out he couldn’t fight on that level and he didn’t want to fight anymore.”
To further his point, Holyfield brought up Larry Holmes, who was cruising along undefeated in his career until he said in an interview that Rocky Marciano “couldn’t hold my jock.”
“Larry Holmes was gonna break that record,” Holyfield said, “but they took it from him. Nobody said nothing because it was a Black (man), because it was (Michael) Spinks who won. Spinks didn’t beat him. But they gave it to him. They made up an excuse that (Holmes) shouldn’t have said (anything) about Rocky Marciano.
“I’m sure Floyd thinks about it: Shoot, man, these people (in boxing) do anything they want to do. So he’s thinking, ‘Do I want to risk $100 million for them to take (the decision) away from me?’”
In a straight up fight with no outside influences, Holyfield seemed to lean toward Mayweather, but only if “he fights his fight.”
“I think it will happen. It’s a matter of money,” Holyfield, the only four-time heavyweight champion in boxing history, said. “They’ve waited a long time. They need to do it before somebody just gives up on it. I heard they offered Floyd $100 million. People talk.
“Whoever fights their fight will win. If Floyd boxes and is able to box the whole time and Manny can’t trap him, Floyd will win. If Manny is able to corner him and with the angle Manny throws punches, it would be a difficult fight.
“But I saw Floyd fight Sugar Shane Mosley. He hurt Floyd, and Floyd stopped moving and ****** him up. So it’s obvious Floyd hits harder than people give him credit. I’ve never seen anyone try to run through Floyd. On Manny side, he’s gonna be all right (even if he loses). All he’s gonna do is grin and say, ‘I gave my all.’ Manny’s gonna fight hard if they (paid) him nothing. And he won’t make no excuses. And people who don’t make no excuses are the ones who can bounce back.”
Source Link: http://atlantablackstar.com/2015/01/...fight-happens/
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