Evander Holyfield First Opponent for Brian Nielsen Comeback
Will Evander Holyfield ever retire? At the rate things are going, Holyfield might be able to start his own senior boxing circuit for the elderly. In April, the former undisputed heavyweight champion fought his first bout in almost 18 months as he stopped Francois Botha in the eighth round in Las Vegas. Of course, it didn’t hurt that Botha was 41, although that still left him six years younger than the 47-year-old Holyfield.
Holyfield (43-10-2, 28 KOs) still has the hunger for a world championship - along with some legendarily large debts and child support payments to make. His last two fights before taking on Botha were chances at that elusive prize that both slipped through his hands. He lost a unanimous decision to Sultan Ibragimov in October 2007 for the WBO heavyweight crown and then dropped a controversial majority decision to Nikolay Valuev in December 2008 in Switzerland in a fight that many observers thought that he had won.
However, Holyfield is apparently not to be deterred in his quest to continue fighting despite concerns about his age and health problems (including previous heart issues). And it appears that Holyfield might have found a new opponent for his next bout - and someone who makes Botha look like a spring chicken. The Associated Press reports that former Danish heavyweight title contender Brian Nielsen has announced plans to make a comeback at age 45, with his bout scheduled for December in Copenhagen. While no opponent has been announced, it has been speculated that he will face Holyfield in his comeback fight.
Nielsen (64-2, 43 KOs) retired after defeating Uriah Grant in April 2002, and a potential bout against Holyfield might be a match-up featuring one of the highest combined ages in boxing history. Holyfield would be 48 by November, meaning that the two fighters would be a combined 93 by the time the bout happens.
Both fighters have extensive amateur backgrounds before becoming professionals, each having won Olympic bronze medals. Holyfield’s came for the United States in 1984 while Nielsen’s was in the super heavyweight division in the 1992 Summer Games. However, it’s been 18 years since Nielsen won his Olympic medal and 26 years for Holyfield, leaving little doubt that neither fighter could possibly have much tread left on their tires at this stage of their lives.
Nielsen’s biggest win as a professional came in 1997 when he earned a controversial split decision over Larry Holmes that many people feel was a product of the fight taking place in Denmark. Despite his impressive record over the years, Nielsen never fought for a world title, primarily because of his lack of interest in fighting outside of his home country. His biggest payday was in October 2001, when he took on Mike Tyson in one of “Iron Mike’s” many comeback attempts. Nielsen was battered and dropped during the fight before his corner stopped it in the ninth round.
Nielsen was forced to retire in 2002 because of chronic knee problems. While details about why he is returning are unclear, one might assume that the long layoff has helped him heal his injured knee and made him feel like he could return to his past glories. However, his conditioning and stamina was always a question even in his prime; being 45 and not having fought in eight years certainly could have helped with that.
The bigger question in this potential match-up is: why would Holyfield agree to it unless there is a large payday attached? If his goal is to get another world title shot, then he certainly gains nothing by beating Nielsen. It appears that this is a placeholder fight - or possibly an admission from Holyfield that he is simply in it for the money.
Tags: