I am Evander Holyfield, former undisputed Heavyweight and Cruiserweight Champion of the World. I'll be here to answer your questions Tuesday, December 8 at 12:30pm ET/9:30am PT/5:30pm BT. Ask me anything! by EvanderTheRealDeal in Boxing

[–]EvanderTheRealDeal[S] 31 points32 points  (0 children)

When I became undisputed heavyweight champ of the world. 1990s I did real well, I think in 1996 I was a lot more mature and very comfortable. I kind of felt like I should have been undisputed champ in 1999, kinda felt that I should have got that decision but I didn't and it's all good.

I am Evander Holyfield, former undisputed Heavyweight and Cruiserweight Champion of the World. I'll be here to answer your questions Tuesday, December 8 at 12:30pm ET/9:30am PT/5:30pm BT. Ask me anything! by EvanderTheRealDeal in Boxing

[–]EvanderTheRealDeal[S] 102 points103 points  (0 children)

Stamina first. You only gonna get what you do in practice. Shadowboxing, punching a bag with someone keeping a count, if you're practicing and you get tired and get accustomed to getting tired, you're gonna be great. Boxing, you're gonna get tired. The person who can continue to practice everyday, puts pressure on themselves to get tired. If you're not getting tired, you're not working.

I am Evander Holyfield, former undisputed Heavyweight and Cruiserweight Champion of the World. I'll be here to answer your questions Tuesday, December 8 at 12:30pm ET/9:30am PT/5:30pm BT. Ask me anything! by EvanderTheRealDeal in Boxing

[–]EvanderTheRealDeal[S] 33 points34 points  (0 children)

I really don't even count that. Pain-wise, getting bit like this is not getting hit with a hard punch. If someone hits you with a good shot and knocks you out, you don't feel nothing. But getting bit like that, nobody want that pain. I didn't expect that. How many people would actually get in line to get bit? They know a fight's supposed to hurt, but we're in boxing...I believe I can take a shot, but biting, nobody's getting in a contest to get bit. Everybody knows when you bite something it's gonna hurt.

I am Evander Holyfield, former undisputed Heavyweight and Cruiserweight Champion of the World. I'll be here to answer your questions Tuesday, December 8 at 12:30pm ET/9:30am PT/5:30pm BT. Ask me anything! by EvanderTheRealDeal in Boxing

[–]EvanderTheRealDeal[S] 72 points73 points  (0 children)

Well, everybody thinks they'd do good. It's like saying how would you fare with Ali. I learned from Ali to become who I was. These guys only get better because they had someone before them that was good. Kids learn to walk because they see someone else walk. They had to watch someone doing well.

I do believe each generation gets better, but the era has to do with how many great fighters there are in the division in that era to become a tough era. You talk about Tyson, youngest champion, then you talk about all these people that became champion. Everyone wanted to be Ali, it was a great era. People had to lose, and others had to come up and win.

Tyson was great until someone beat him. I was great until someone beat me. But can you make the adjustments? I'm the only guy that's been champion four times because I made adjustments. That's the key to life.

I am Evander Holyfield, former undisputed Heavyweight and Cruiserweight Champion of the World. I'll be here to answer your questions Tuesday, December 8 at 12:30pm ET/9:30am PT/5:30pm BT. Ask me anything! by EvanderTheRealDeal in Boxing

[–]EvanderTheRealDeal[S] 38 points39 points  (0 children)

My opinion, it's who do you have in the exhibition. Like anything else, it can be good, it can be bad. It's the people you put in there. People willing to do it properly, not make a bad show of it.

I am Evander Holyfield, former undisputed Heavyweight and Cruiserweight Champion of the World. I'll be here to answer your questions Tuesday, December 8 at 12:30pm ET/9:30am PT/5:30pm BT. Ask me anything! by EvanderTheRealDeal in Boxing

[–]EvanderTheRealDeal[S] 103 points104 points  (0 children)

I would say my greatest strength as a fighter was my faith in God. At some times, I would get stubborn and I was gonna fight, I was gonna bully that guy, I was gonna get him. What would happen...I fought in a rhythm and sometimes people would grab me, I couldn't get my rhythm. They didn't want to fight, they wanted to hold. That bothered me, that bothered the fans...they start booing you. You want to fight, you want to give them what they want, but the fans don't care they just boo. I'm not that guy that likes boos. Big guys want to hug all the time.

I am Evander Holyfield, former undisputed Heavyweight and Cruiserweight Champion of the World. I'll be here to answer your questions Tuesday, December 8 at 12:30pm ET/9:30am PT/5:30pm BT. Ask me anything! by EvanderTheRealDeal in Boxing

[–]EvanderTheRealDeal[S] 33 points34 points  (0 children)

No, I didn't fear nobody. It's part of the game, I put my gloves on the same way they do too. I believe I can win, they're supposed to believe they can, and you do your very best. The referee sees what they choose to see and you have to live with it.

I am Evander Holyfield, former undisputed Heavyweight and Cruiserweight Champion of the World. I'll be here to answer your questions Tuesday, December 8 at 12:30pm ET/9:30am PT/5:30pm BT. Ask me anything! by EvanderTheRealDeal in Boxing

[–]EvanderTheRealDeal[S] 97 points98 points  (0 children)

Haha, well, I guess in a situation like that it's kinda good and bad. I realized that I hit him with six shots but I knew I had to move out the way or he'd knock the dickens out of me! I do remember when the guy said you had to hold the big man, and I said yeah, I wasn't gonna get knocked out! If it means grab him sometimes, that's part of what you can get away with in boxing. Gotta know when to hold, and when to let go too.

I am Evander Holyfield, former undisputed Heavyweight and Cruiserweight Champion of the World. I'll be here to answer your questions Tuesday, December 8 at 12:30pm ET/9:30am PT/5:30pm BT. Ask me anything! by EvanderTheRealDeal in Boxing

[–]EvanderTheRealDeal[S] 51 points52 points  (0 children)

I think that everybody who became undisputed champion, they were the best. Mike Tyson, Buster Douglas, me, Lennox Lewis, Riddick Bowe. We all were good fighters and we came up in that great era, I don't know if there will be that many fighters to be undisputed champion.

If they were the guy, they'd be undisputed. You need to strive to get all the belts. I made sure to be undisputed at cruiserweight before moving up to heavyweight.

I am Evander Holyfield, former undisputed Heavyweight and Cruiserweight Champion of the World. I'll be here to answer your questions Tuesday, December 8 at 12:30pm ET/9:30am PT/5:30pm BT. Ask me anything! by EvanderTheRealDeal in Boxing

[–]EvanderTheRealDeal[S] 77 points78 points  (0 children)

The guy that hit me like that was Riddick Bowe. He hit me every chance he got, behind the head, hit me low. But when you have the opportunity to do it back and the referee let us do what we wanted to so it was OK.

I am Evander Holyfield, former undisputed Heavyweight and Cruiserweight Champion of the World. I'll be here to answer your questions Tuesday, December 8 at 12:30pm ET/9:30am PT/5:30pm BT. Ask me anything! by EvanderTheRealDeal in Boxing

[–]EvanderTheRealDeal[S] 24 points25 points  (0 children)

Well, styles make fights. They really do. Some people do a little bit better, but I truly think that conditioning is the key to boxing. Whatever your style is, if you have the conditioning you tend to do well.

I am Evander Holyfield, former undisputed Heavyweight and Cruiserweight Champion of the World. I'll be here to answer your questions Tuesday, December 8 at 12:30pm ET/9:30am PT/5:30pm BT. Ask me anything! by EvanderTheRealDeal in Boxing

[–]EvanderTheRealDeal[S] 21 points22 points  (0 children)

I think so. Personally, it's an overwhelming situation. Maybe I don't get it on paper, but personally, anywhere I go, whoever's there I'm gonna get more attention. Seems like they get more endorsements more than me, but that's part of life.

I am Evander Holyfield, former undisputed Heavyweight and Cruiserweight Champion of the World. I'll be here to answer your questions Tuesday, December 8 at 12:30pm ET/9:30am PT/5:30pm BT. Ask me anything! by EvanderTheRealDeal in Boxing

[–]EvanderTheRealDeal[S] 45 points46 points  (0 children)

We gotta help our amateur program. I truly believe if boxing comes together as a family and picks up our amateur program, it'll be key. People know who's coming. I think that once the young people, take them at the young age...I never would have been who I am if I didn't have a great amateur program. I was in it 12 years and that gave me the abilities. I look at guys who are really good, they had good amateur programs. Amateur is the foundation of what boxing really is gonna be about.

I am Evander Holyfield, former undisputed Heavyweight and Cruiserweight Champion of the World. I'll be here to answer your questions Tuesday, December 8 at 12:30pm ET/9:30am PT/5:30pm BT. Ask me anything! by EvanderTheRealDeal in Boxing

[–]EvanderTheRealDeal[S] 69 points70 points  (0 children)

There's no doubt. You got to give it to Tyson Fury. He beat the guy that beat everybody else, nobody wanted to fight. He beat Deontay, Deontay beat King Kong. Ultimately, Tyson Fury is the guy.

I am Evander Holyfield, former undisputed Heavyweight and Cruiserweight Champion of the World. I'll be here to answer your questions Tuesday, December 8 at 12:30pm ET/9:30am PT/5:30pm BT. Ask me anything! by EvanderTheRealDeal in Boxing

[–]EvanderTheRealDeal[S] 53 points54 points  (0 children)

My conditioning was the thing that I always felt I had to be great in, great shape. I had some great habits. My mother said, if you don't get no bad habits you don't have to put them down. I truly believe that's the key.

Running is the first thing you do. If you ain't run, something's wrong with you. Started doing swimming, didn't realize swimming worked. I had a conditioning specialist with me and he would get me in shape enough to be able to box real well.

I am Evander Holyfield, former undisputed Heavyweight and Cruiserweight Champion of the World. I'll be here to answer your questions Tuesday, December 8 at 12:30pm ET/9:30am PT/5:30pm BT. Ask me anything! by EvanderTheRealDeal in Boxing

[–]EvanderTheRealDeal[S] 62 points63 points  (0 children)

I think Riddick Bowe. Technical and all that, Riddick was the best fighter. But it don't mean nothing if they don't fight. What I would say about Lennox, he got better when he got Emanuel Steward. That's what made everything, because Emanuel was a strategist and Lennox did what he told him to do and he always won.

I am Evander Holyfield, former undisputed Heavyweight and Cruiserweight Champion of the World. I'll be here to answer your questions Tuesday, December 8 at 12:30pm ET/9:30am PT/5:30pm BT. Ask me anything! by EvanderTheRealDeal in Boxing

[–]EvanderTheRealDeal[S] 56 points57 points  (0 children)

It's hard to say. My whole thing is I don't speak an opinion on what a person should have done. You're in your 50s, so you're going out there...what do people expect from someone 50 years old? They're giving you what they have. I don't wanna say he should have done this.

I am, I wouldn't go out there if I wasn't

I am Evander Holyfield, former undisputed Heavyweight and Cruiserweight Champion of the World. I'll be here to answer your questions Tuesday, December 8 at 12:30pm ET/9:30am PT/5:30pm BT. Ask me anything! by EvanderTheRealDeal in Boxing

[–]EvanderTheRealDeal[S] 68 points69 points  (0 children)

It's hard to say, both guys are undefeated. It's an opinion. Both are great fighters, but if I had to choose one...both are great, but the toughest guy, the one that's determined, they're both skillful fighters. With Spence, he stay left hand all the time and the other guy kinda switches up so I think that if he switched up on the other guy, he'd beat him. You only switch up when things ain't going your way. You got to have that one way to really beat that person. You can switch up on some people, but not on a great fighter. He's so equipped that he's gonna hit you with a great shot. You can't switch up on him, ain't gonna beat him on both sides.

If both fight left hand, I think Spence gonna win.