I agree that it is unlikely that Holyfield will win, but I think people are being unfair to him in terms of his career. Look at his four fights leading into the Ibragimov fight after his shoulder finally healed:
TKO 2 - Jeremy Bates
- OKay, anyone could do that.
UD - Fres Oquendo
- Holyfield won this in an 8-4 kind of fight. Oquendo fought closer with Chis Byrd, John Ruiz (dead even fight when he was stopped in the 11th), and since then has virtually shut out former contender Ellisier Castillo, and everyone saw that he beat Toney.
TKO 3 - Vinny Maddalone
- Contrary to what people have claimed, this fight was NOT stopped on cuts. While Maddalone was badly cut, his corner stopped the fight because he was also badly hurt as old man Holy was beating the living **** out of him. This is a man with two equal footing, late KO loss wars against Brian Minto and a guy that supposed big time prospect Boystov couldn't stop in his last fight.
UD - Lou Savarese
- Like Bates, not a particularly impressive win. He won by virtual shut out though and threw a lot of punches, but this only meant even a little bit ten years ago, let alone now.
Still, given the state of the division, that isn't a horrible resume, and even after a wide UD loss in a title shot it isn't one that screams a shot fighter that needs to be forced into retirement.
TKO 2 - Jeremy Bates
- OKay, anyone could do that.
UD - Fres Oquendo
- Holyfield won this in an 8-4 kind of fight. Oquendo fought closer with Chis Byrd, John Ruiz (dead even fight when he was stopped in the 11th), and since then has virtually shut out former contender Ellisier Castillo, and everyone saw that he beat Toney.
TKO 3 - Vinny Maddalone
- Contrary to what people have claimed, this fight was NOT stopped on cuts. While Maddalone was badly cut, his corner stopped the fight because he was also badly hurt as old man Holy was beating the living **** out of him. This is a man with two equal footing, late KO loss wars against Brian Minto and a guy that supposed big time prospect Boystov couldn't stop in his last fight.
UD - Lou Savarese
- Like Bates, not a particularly impressive win. He won by virtual shut out though and threw a lot of punches, but this only meant even a little bit ten years ago, let alone now.
Still, given the state of the division, that isn't a horrible resume, and even after a wide UD loss in a title shot it isn't one that screams a shot fighter that needs to be forced into retirement.
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