HOLYFIELD, EVANDER

born Oct. 19, 1962, Atmore, Ala., U.S. Holyfield, 1996 African-American boxer, the only professional boxer aside from Muhammad Ali to win the heavyweight championship three separate times. As an amateur boxer, Holyfield compiled a record of 16014 and won the National Golden Gloves Championship in 1984. Competing as a light heavyweight at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, he was disqualified in the semifinal bout for knocking out his opponent, Kevin Barry of New Zealand, while the referee was attempting to separate the fighters. Amid controversy, the International Olympic Committee subsequently awarded Holyfield the bronze medal. In November 1984 Holyfield turned professional, and in 1986 he won the junior heavyweight title by upsetting World Boxing Association (WBA) champion Dwight Muhammad Qawi in a 15-round split decision. In April 1988 Holyfield became boxing's first undisputed cruiserweight champion with an eight-round knockout of Carlos DeLeon. Three months later, he fought his first heavyweight bout, knocking out James Tillis in five rounds. Although Holyfield often faced much larger opponents as a heavyweight, his diligent training habits and exceptional durability in the ring helped to make up for his lack of size. On Oct. 25, 1990, he scored a third-round knockout of James Buster Douglas to win the undisputed heavyweight title of the WBA, the World Boxing Council (WBC), and the International Boxing Federation (IBF). After successful defenses against former champions George Foreman and Larry Holmes, Holyfield lost the title on Nov. 13, 1992, dropping a 12-round decision to Riddick Bowe. In a rematch with Bowe one year later, he recaptured the WBA and IBF titles in another decision. On April 22, 1994, in a World Boxing Organization match and Holyfield's first defense after regaining the titles, he lost a 12-round decision to Michael Moorer. After the bout, he was diagnosed with a heart defect and announced his retirement. The diagnosis was later reversed, however, and Holyfield resumed boxing, winning a 10-round decision over Ray Mercer on May 20, 1995. In his third fight with Bowe, on Nov. 4, 1995, Holyfield scored a knockdown in the sixth round but lost by a knockout in the eighth. After defeating Bobby Czyz in his next match, Holyfield met heavyweight champion Mike Tyson in a much anticipated WBA bout on Nov. 9, 1996. Though Tyson was heavily favoured to win, Holyfield scored a stunning upset with a technical knockout in the 11th round, becoming the heavyweight champion for a third time. He successfully defended his title on June 28, 1997, in a rematch against Tyson, who was disqualified after the third round for biting Holyfield's ears.