Evander Holyfield Dismisses Muhammad Ali When Naming The Greatest Heavyweight Of All Time

Evander Holyfield recently took issue with the many who regard Muhammad Ali as the best heavyweight in the history of the sport.

Ali’s campaign was defined by his combination of technical skill, speed, strategic intelligence and unwavering confidence. He won the world heavyweight title three times, first defeating Sonny Liston in 1964.

Ali was known for his unorthodox style, using movement and timing to outpoint or stop opponents like Joe Frazier and George Foreman. When all was said and done, he retired with a record of 56 wins and 5 losses. He is known simply as ‘The Greatest,’ however Holyfield does not agree.

Speaking to Seconds Out, ‘The Real Deal’ staked his own claim to be considered the heavyweight division’s top dog.

“I’m the only four-time heavyweight champion of the world but they are still talking about Ali when I broke his record. I’ve been the only four-time heavyweight champion of the world for 24 years.

 

“You can’t talk about it until you break someone’s record, they don’t say nothing about me. How do you cut somebody out of history? Now I didn’t even know I was the first person to be undisputed in two weight divisions, until Usyk did it.

“They keep saying Ali is the best fighter, no I am. He was three times, I’m four.”

Holyfield secured the undisputed cruiserweight championship before moving up to heavyweight, where he captured the world title by defeating Buster Douglas in 1990.

He went on to face many of the era’s best, including Riddick Bowe, Lennox Lewis, and, perhaps most famously, Mike Tyson in their two bouts in the late 1990s. Known for his conditioning and heart, Holyfield finished his professional career with a record of 44 wins, 10 losses, and 2 draws.

The division’s greatest debate will rage on, with many fans looking further back to the likes of Joe Louis, as Ali himself did.