Byrd is a fighter to duck, but Holyfield has no choice

Posted 6:40AM on Saturday 14th December 2002 ( 22 years ago )

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. - Evander Holyfield and Chris Byrd have a lot in common for a pair of fighters separated by a decade in age and four heavyweight titles. They're both Olympic silver medalist in lighter weight divisions, and both undersized heavyweights who have to do things people don't think they can do to get attention. Neither is known for having a big punch and both have been in some awfully ugly fights. They also both badly want the vacant IBF heavyweight title they fight for Saturday night at the Boardwalk Hall but for vastly different reasons. Holyfield wants to become the only fighter to win a piece of the title five times, and take a step at advanced fighting age of 40 toward his goal once again. Byrd wants the belt to force other fighters to do something they don't really want to do - risk embarrassment in the ring against the crafty lefty. ``That's why this fight is so important to me,'' Byrd said. ``They'll have to come to me instead of ducking me.'' Indeed, a lot of heavyweights want nothing to do with Byrd, who doesn't pack much of a punch but frustrates his opponents with his elusiveness. Holyfield was one of them, until the prospect of an unprecedented fifth heavyweight title was dangled in front of his aging eyes. The scheduled 12-round fight (11 p.m. EST HBO) is for the IBF version of the title that Lennox Lewis thought so little of he sold it for $1 million and a Range Rover. To Holyfield, though, it's worth far more. ``I fight because I believe I can still beat everyone that is there,'' Holyfield said. That's a bit of a stretch for a fighter who struggled in three dreary fights against John Ruiz only to come back in his last fight and stop Hasim Rahman. But Holyfield has built a career and made himself incredibly rich over the years by doing what he wasn't supposed to. ``Even at his worst he's still going to fight,'' Byrd said. ``He's a true warrior. He tried to shy away from me a little, but he figured he shouldn't start ducking people now.'' If Byrd (35-2, 20 knockouts) is up to his usual tactics it could be a dull 12 rounds. Byrd is the kind of fighter more often found in weight classes 100 pounds lighter, a boxer who slips punches, uses angles and is so elusive that fighters half Holyfield's age have trouble hitting him. ``I pride myself on making guys miss and kind of making them look foolish, especially heavyweights because they're so much slower,'' Byrd said. ``It's a God-given ability to see punches coming and take them off the shoulder.'' Holyfield (38-5-2, 25 knockouts) said earlier this year he didn't want to fight Byrd, but he's finding out there aren't too many titles available for 40-year-old fighters. When Lewis gave up the IBF title, Holyfield didn't have to be asked twice to fight for it. ``When they asked me about Chris Byrd it was different because I wasn't fighting for the title,'' Holyfield said. ``I figured why should I fight Chris Byrd if it's not a title shot.'' The fight is historic in a way, but in a way it's not. Holyfield is trying to become a heavyweight champion for a fifth time in his long career, but it's a tarnished crown at best. Lewis is generally recognized as the heavyweight champion of the world, but with Byrd the No. 1 IBF contender he decided he didn't need a fight fans didn't want to see and one he didn't want to fight. ``It's called getting clowned. They don't want to get clowned,'' Byrd said. ``They'd rather get knocked out than get embarrassed and frustrated and look bad.'' Holyfield's been around long enough to understand what Byrd will try to do. What he has to do is remain patient enough to eventually get through those defenses. ``You have to box him and not get so excited to try and hit him with a big shot,'' Holyfield said. ``At some point you have to catch him.'' In a heavyweight world where fighters are increasingly 6-foot-5 and 250 pounds, these are two undersized boxers. Byrd weighed in at 214 pounds to 220 for Holyfield, who will be fighting for only the second time as a heavyweight with a weight advantage over his opponent.

http://accesswdun.com/article/2002/12/186605