Evander Holyfield gives credit to his late mother during Hall of Fame speech
The former heavyweight champion headlined the Class of 2017 at Sunday's induction ceremony
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2 min read
If there was a pair of enduring traits boxing fans will remember most about Evander Holyfield throughout his 27-year pro career, it was his positive attitude and unwillingness to quit under any circumstances.
From the grace he showed in his handling of a wrongful disqualification at the 1984 Olympics to his comeback from a serious heart condition to recapture the heavyweight championship, Holyfield was celebrated Sunday during his induction to the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, New York.
Holyfield, 56, headlined a 2017 class that also featured Marco Antonio Barrera, the late Johnny Tapia and current Showtime boxing analysts Steve Farhood and Barry Tompkins.
But Holyfield, who retired in 2011 with a record of 44-10-2 (29 KOs). used the platform to instead highlight the impact his late mother Annie had on the fighter -- and most importantly the man he would grow to become.
"This Hall of Fame thing is all about the help I got from someone else," said Holyfield. "My mother would have been so happy."
Holyfield, 56, the youngest of nine children, was raised amid harsh conditions in Atlanta. But the lessons of toughness and perseverance from his mother left a lasting imprint. If anything, Holyfield the boxer had too much fight in him and finally walked away from the sport at the age of 48.
He spent the next few years teasing at a return while declaring his unwavering goal of recapturing and unifying the heavyweight title.
"When I came back with the bronze medal [after the 1984 Olympics], my mama said, 'See, I told you.' My mom wouldn't let me quit," Holyfield said. "My mom said, regardless of how good you are, you do mess up, and if you do mess up and you have a good attitude, you'll get more opportunities. I had 10 setbacks, so that lets you know that I messed up. But because of the good attitude I had, I got more chances.
"My goal was to be the very best that I could be. I just didn't know what it was."
In 1986, in just his 12th career bout, a 23-year-old Holyfield won a split decision over Dwight Muhammad Qawi to win a cruiserweight title in a fight many consider to be the last great 15-round fight in boxing history. Four years later, unable to get heavyweight champion Mike Tyson in the ring, Holyfield knocked out his successor, James "Buster" Douglas, to win the title.
Holyfield would go on to a memorable heavyweight trilogy with Riddick Bowe in the 1990s before a pair of title fights against a post-prison Tyson that would go on to define his career. Holyfield shocked the world by winning the heavyweight title for the third time in 1996 by knocking out Tyson.
Their rematch eight months later would be remembered just as much for Tyson biting Holyfield's ear in a bizarre disqualification loss as it would for Holyfield's forgiving reaction in the days and years that followed.
