Evander Holyfield enjoyed a storied boxing career which saw him win the undisputed championship in two weight divisions.
‘The Real Deal’ reigned as the undisputed cruiserweight champion in 1988, defeating Carlos De Leon to capture the crown with an eighth round stoppage in Las Vegas.
Holyfield then made more history for himself in 1990 when he defeated James ‘Buster’ Douglas to achieve undisputed status at heavyweight, defending his crown three times which included victories against George Foreman and Larry Holmes.
Despite his success throughout his glittering career, Holyfield has given his thoughts on who he believes is the greatest heavyweight of all time, giving an answer that might shock you.
Speaking to Seconds Out, ‘The Real Deal’ claims he is actually the greatest of all time, ranking himself higher than boxing icon Muhammad Ali.
“I’m the only four-time heavyweight champion of the world but they’re 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 til you break somebody’s record and they’ve not even said nothing about me. How do you cut somebody out of history?
They keep saying Ali is the best fighter, no I am. He was three times, I’m four.”
In the eyes of many, Ali is the greatest boxer of all time, with a unique personality to match his outstanding skill level, ring generalship and fight style.
‘The Greatest’ holds victories over the likes of Ken Norton, Joe Frazier, George Foreman and Sonny Liston, as well as holding the undisputed heavyweight championship for four years between 1974 and 1978.
He passed away in 2016, leaving behind a legacy that will be remembered for many, many years to come.
