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I shared 24 rounds with Lennox Lewis, 14 with Mike Tyson, but neither fighter hit me harder than George Foreman
Evander Holyfield walked away from boxing in 2011 following a legendary career that lasted 27 years.
At his very best, Holyfield ruled the cruiserweight and heavyweight divisions, and he done so in manner that entertained audiences as he defeated some of the biggest names in the sport including George Foreman, Mike Tyson, and Riddick Bowe.
In 1999, Holyfield faced Lennox Lewis twice in two memorable undisputed title encounters, but he was unbale to get past the outstanding Brit following a controversial draw in their first fight before losing the rematch.
Moving into the 2000s, Holyfield found it hard to rediscover the former that made him one of boxing’s best fighters in the previous two decades but calls for his retirement were ignored as he continued to test himself against the new generation's heavyweights.
In one final crack at a world title, Holyfield was beaten by Nikolai Valuev at the backend of 2008 despite putting up a spirited effort in a contest he was unfortunate not to receive the nod.
Holyfield’s final fight would occur three years later when he stopped Brian Nielsen in Denmark to finish his illustrious career with a win.
Reflecting on his run in the sport, Holyfield credited Foreman as being the biggest puncher he ever faced.
Holyfield defeated the veteran heavyweight on points in 1991 when he was world champion, and he can recall one shot from that bout.
“The guy that hit me the hardest was George Foreman,” said Holyfield when speaking to ES News .
“He hit me one time in the eleventh round, and I came back to the corner and I said, ‘Did he knock all my teeth out?'”
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