Boxing

Evander Holyfield To Battle James Toney In Historic Heavyweight Battle October 4

Photo: Tom Casino / Showtime

25.06 – Legendary champion Evander “The Real Deal” Holyfield will step into the ring against current International Boxing Federation (IBF) Cruiserweight Champion James “Lights Out” Toney in a 10-round heavyweight showdown live on SHOWTIME Pay Per View, Saturday, October 4. The HOLYFIELD - TONEY pay-per-view telecast begins at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT, and carries a suggested retail price of $44.95. Goossen Tutor Promotions will present the event.

“Showtime and Evander Holyfield have made heavyweight history together several times since he first won the undisputed heavyweight crown in 1990,” said Jay Larkin, Senior Vice President and Executive Producer for Showtime Sports and Event Programming. “He has fought on Showtime more than any other network, and we are proud and happy to have him back with us. James Toney’s win over Vassiliy Jirov has dramatically propelled him into the ever-changing heavyweight geography. This is a match-up between two guys who stand in the center of the ring and throw punches, neither one gives an inch. This is going to be war. And as Omar Bradley said ‘In war there is no second place’.”

Dan Goossen, President of Goossen Tutor Promotions, surprised the boxing world at a press conference today in New York with the news that this fight has been made. Both fighters were in attendance.

“James Toney will be a step toward achieving my goal of again becoming the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world,” Holyfield said.

Toney responded with “It is going to be a great feeling to knock out a legend in the heavyweight division.”

“This is the opportunity for James Toney to make boxing history,” Goossen said.

Holyfield (38-6-2, 25 KOs), of Atlanta, became the only heavyweight in history to win a world title on four separate occasions when he captured the vacant World Boxing Association (WBA) heavyweight title with a 12-round unanimous decision over John Ruiz on Aug. 12, 2000, in Las Vegas. The legendary fighter previously became only the second man following Muhammad Ali to capture the heavyweight crown three times when he stopped Mike Tyson in the 11th round on Nov. 9, 1996.

Known worldwide for his warrior spirit and superior boxing skills, Holyfield is one of the most popular and respected athletes of his era, and has battled every premiere heavyweight including Mike Tyson, Lennox Lewis, Riddick Bowe, George Foreman, Larry Holmes, Michael Moorer, Ray Mercer, Hasim Rahman and Chris Byrd. He has defeated each of them with the exception of Lewis and Byrd. Holyfield knocked out James “Buster” Douglas in the third round to win the undisputed heavyweight title on Oct. 25, 1990.

Toney (66-4-2, 42 KOs), of Los Angeles, by way of Grand Rapids, Mich., rocked the boxing world on April 2003 when, at the ripe, young age of 34, he won the IBF cruiserweight crown over Vassiliy Jirov in Ledyard, Conn. The victory represented Toney’s first world title triumph in nearly nine years after holding world titles at 160lbs and 168lbs. Able to weather the rushes and aggressiveness of Jirov with stinging counterpunches, Toney scored the bout’s lone knockdown in the 12th and final round. Like Holyfield, Toney has taken on many of his era’s most heralded fighters, including Roy Jones Jr., Iran Barkley, Jirov, Montell Griffin, Michael Nunn, Reggie Johnson and Mike McCallum.

After compiling a 25-0-1 record with 18 knockouts in his first 26 starts, Toney captured the IBF middleweight title with an 11th-round TKO over then-unbeaten champion Nunn on May 10, 1991. Following six successful title defenses, including victories over McCallum and Johnson, Toney moved up in weight and won the IBF super middleweight crown with a ninth-round TKO over Barkley on Feb. 13, 1993, in Las Vegas.

Following three successful super middleweight title defenses, Toney lost his championship and unbeaten record (44-0-2 going in) in his 47th bout when he dropped a 12-round unanimous decision to Jones Jr. on Nov. 18, 1994. Toney has won his past 12 contests, including the dramatic victory over Jirov in his last bout. Although he is the current cruiserweight champion he has participated in many heavyweight fights.

Holyfield-Toney will be produced and distributed by SHOWTIME Pay Per View.

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