johnmichael-bricHolyfield: Please Hang THose Gloves
October 15th 2007 21:32
But why is very stubborn these days?
Even at the advanced age of 44, boxing fans would still be amazed of how determined he is to become the undisputed champion for the 5th time. But there is no doubt his age is becoming a liability to him. He wasn't as fast like he was known for back in the 80's and 90's, his punch output has dropped severely in his recent fights, and he is getting hit more frequently by his opponents. In my opinion, he should have retired after his third fight against John Ruiz almost six years ago. He was a shell of his former self even during that time. After his fight with Ruiz, he won a fight against Hasim Rahman thanks to his headbutts which caused a big lump on Rahman's head. Then he lost 3 straight fights against Chris Byrd, James Toney and an aging Larry Donald. His was very slow in all of these fights and was dominated badly. He was even stopped by the light hitting James Toney of all people. He was banned for 2 years by the Nevada State Athletic Commision after losing to Larry Donald because of the way he lost. He was badly dominated by Donald and NSAC was worried that getting hit with many punches to his head would have very bad effects to his health, causing him his boxing license.
Just as his boxing career was in jeopardy and nowhere else to go but retire, he returned two years later stating that he would want to claim all the Heavyweight belts again to become the undisputed champ. He faced journeymen and mid-level contenders before losing against WBO champion Sultan Ibragimov. He just wasn't effectively fighting. His reflexes are gone and he punched very little in the last 6 rounds. He was out punche and out boxed in each round by the Russian champ.
Holyfield still insists that he will still continue his career and still hungry to get another title around his waist. But with his recent performance, I think it be a huge mistake to keep on fighting especially against the bigger and stronger Heavies. He should be thankful that his faculties and speech are still intact despite getting more and more. His handlers should convince him to retire because he has nothing to prove anymore and his boxing fans are very worried about his health. Please hang those gloves up Holyfield, you have been a great champion in you era but you should think about your health too.
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