LONDON ? Four-time world heavyweight boxing champion Evander Holyfield, in town to promote his new book, said yesterday he?s not placing any bets on the fight between Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez in Las Vegas on March 15.
?I can?t say who?ll win,? said Holyfield who flew in with business manager Lisa Smith-Putnam from Atlanta last Thursday. ?It?s 50-50. But I?ve seen Manny fight and I know he?s a great warrior.?
Smith-Putnam, founder of the multi-media company Turning Point Entertainment and creator of Your Music Network, said Holyfield might just show up at ringside for Marquez? defense of the WBC superfeatherweight crown.
Holyfield and Smith-Putnam leave for Dublin tomorrow then return to Atlanta on Saturday.
Holyfield, 45, is promoting his new 273-page hardcover book Becoming Holyfield ? A Fighter?s Journey which he co-wrote with Lee Gruenfield. It?s the third book he has co-authored after The Humble Warrior (1996) with brother Bernard and The Holyfield Way: What I Learned About Courage, Perseverance and the Bizarre World of Boxing (2005) with J. J. Thomas.
Holyfield showed up at 5 p.m. to meet about 50 fans who bought his book for the equivalent of P1,120 at Waterstone?s, a six-level store in Piccadilly Circus. The store is the largest of its kind in Europe.
As early as two hours before Holyfield appeared, a queue formed on the sidewalk in front of Waterstone?s as fans covered themselves in thick clothing to survive the chilly conditions. The fans were allowed in a few minutes before Holyfield arrived.
Waterstone?s often arranges for authors to meet book buyers at the store. Last November, it hosted 23-year-old McLaren Formula 1 car racer Lewis Hamilton in a similar session to promote his book My Story.
Some 20 press photographers took at least 15 minutes to click at Holyfield behind a makeshift cordon before the fans were brought in, one by one, to shake hands and pose for pictures with the first and only fighter to unify the WBC, WBO and IBF cruiserweight and heavyweight titles.
No less than former US president Bill Clinton has endorsed Holyfield?s book as ?a remarkable journey to the pinnacle of his profession (and) a reminder of how far hard work and perseverance can take you in America? Evander?s passion, drive and athleticism shine through on every page of his absorbing memoir.?
A highlight of the book is Holyfield?s inside story of his two bouts against Mike Tyson and what it felt like to lose a piece of his right ear in a biting frenzy in the rematch.
Last October, Holyfield lost a 12-round decision to WBO champion Sultan Ibragimov in Moscow. Ibragimov was recently outpointed by Wladimir Klitschko in an IBF, IBO and WBO unification match in New York.
Holyfield?s record is 42-9-2, with 27 KOs. He turned pro in 1984 and remains active. ?The Real Deal? recently said he?ll fight Tyson in a third bout if the price is right.
?There has been some talk between us,? said Holyfield, quoted by Donald McRae in The Guardian. ?Mike had Jeff Fenech, who?s been training him, call me a few months ago. Mike wants to fight me again but he needs to know if I would agree to it. It all depends on what they?re gonna give us, because I?m gonna catch a lot of flak if I?m fighting Mike again.?
Holyfield said Tyson could still be a force to reckon with in the ring.
?I think he could, if he wanted to,? said Holyfield. ?I don?t underestimate no man. He?s 41 now. I?m four year older but the big difference is I?ve always kept in shape. Who knows with Mike? Soon after Jeff called, Mike went to South Africa and it?s gone quiet since then.?
Evening Standard sports columnist Matthew Norman called a Holyfield-Tyson reprise ?a freak show? but admitted ?we?d all watch it.?
