Evander Holyfield

 Evander Holyfield (born October 19 1962) is an American former professional boxer who competed between 1984 and 2011. The 1980s saw him as the undisputed champion at the cruiserweight division. He also held the title at the heavyweight division in the 1990s. Holyfield, also known as "the Real Deal", is the only heavyweight world champion of the world. He held the WBA, WBC and IBF titles from 1990-1992, and the WBA as well as the IBF titles in 1993 and 1994 in 1993-1994, and then the WBA title once more between 1997 and 1999. Holyfield was an amateur and was awarded an Olympic bronze medal in the 1984 Summer Olympics for the United States in light heavyweight. When he turned 21 Holyfield began professional fighting and moved up to the cruiserweight division by the year 1985. He beat Dwight Muhammad Qawi to win the WBA title. Holyfield continued to beat Ricky Parkey and Carlos de Leon to win the WBC and IBF titles, making him the undisputed cruiserweight champion. He stepped up to heavyweight in 1988, later beating Buster Douglas in 1990 to win the unification of the WBA, WBC and IBF heavyweight titles as well as the undisputed heavyweight championship.He has successfully defended his titles three times, winning victories over previous champions George Foreman and Larry Holmes, before losing his first professional bout to Riddick Bowe in 1992. Holyfield took back the title in a rematch with Bowe the following year. Bowe had previously lost the WBC title. These titles were lost to Holyfield in 1994, in an upset win over Michael Moorer. Holyfield had to pull out of the sport due to medical concerns in 1994. However, he returned a year later in good health. He knocked out Mike Tyson in 1996 and reclaimed the WBA title. This fight was named by The Ring magazine the Fight of the year as well as the upset of the year. This was the first time that Holyfield the first boxer since Muhammad Ali to win a world heavyweight title three times. Holyfield defeated Tyson in a rematch of 1997. Tyson was disqualified after he bit off part of Holyfield's ear. He also won a rematch against Michael Moorer, and was given the IBF title. In 1999, Holyfield fought Lennox Lewis in an unification fight for the WBA, WBC, and IBF titles. It ended in a controversial draw. After eight months, Holyfield lost to John Ruiz in a match that was rematch. He lost to John Ruiz the following year to claim the vacant WBA title. This made him the first boxer in history to win the title of heavyweight four times. Holyfield lost a second time to Ruiz 7 months after the first and was able to take on Ruiz for the third time , but in the draw. Holyfield quit in 2014 and was ranked as high as 77 in The Ring's list that lists 100 greatest punchers ever[3]. Additionally, in 2002, he was ranked the 22nd greatest fighter of the past 80 years. [4] He currently ranks No.91 in BoxRec's ranking of the top pound for pound boxers of all time BoxingScene ranked him the greatest cruiserweight of all time. 6. He was the first boxer to win the world title in three distinct years, during the 1980s, 1990s and the 2000s.