Holyfield fails in heavyweight title bid
Holyfield failed to beat George Foreman's record
Also In The News
|
Holby City actor Tom Chambers has been crowned this year's winner of Strictly Come Dancing. |  |
Sunday, 21, Dec 2008 10:24
Evander Holyfield was unsuccessful in his bid to become the oldest heavyweight world champion in history after Nikolai Valuev beat him on points in Switzerland.
Holyfield, 46, was trying to beat George Foreman's record and in the process become a heavyweight title-holder for a fifth time.
However, his giant Russian opponent edged a majority decision on the judges' scorecards. Valuev was handed the fight with two judges handing him victory, scoring the bout 115-114 and 116-112, while the third judge ruled it a 114-114 draw.
Holyfield was giving away a massive 96lb in weight and 12in in height to Valuev but still held his own for the majority of the contest.
Valuev was able to control the centre of the ring due to his size advantage and worked well behind his left jab.
Holyfield tried to use his greater mobility to unsettle the Russian but when he did land blows they rarely rocked the 35-year-old.
The American landed with a good combination to the body and then followed it up with a left hook to the head in the fourth round.
But from then on it was all Valuev as Holyfield began to tire. The Russian almost felled the 46-year-old with a strong right hand in the eighth round.
And he continued to push forward in the ninth and tenth rounds with combinations to Holyfield who did his best to hang on.
Valuev's record is now 50-1 with 34 knockouts, while Holyfield's tenth defeat of his career could signal the end for the former two-weight champion.