Holyfield Says He Is The Greatest; Better Than Ali

January 14, 2025
1 month
Holyfield Says He Is The Greatest; Better Than Ali

Evander Holyfield has controversially claimed he is the greatest fighter ever. 

Holyfield is a two-weight undisputed champion, having conquered the cruiserweight and heavyweight division. He also became a four-time heavyweight world champion during this process. He appeared at the Ring Magazine Awards Ceremony, where he asked about Muhammad Ali. Ali is regarded as the greatest fighter ever. That was based on his achievements inside and outside of the ring. He left a legacy based on his stance on the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights Movement. But Holyfield felt he was greater than Ali. He referenced how Ali was only the heavyweight champion on three occasions, something which he eclipsed. 

Holyfield Reacts

“I’m the only four-time heavyweight champion of the world but they’re still talking about Ali when I broke his record. I’ve been the only four-time heavyweight champion of the world for 24 years. You can’t talk about it til you break somebody’s record and they’ve not even said nothing about me. How do you cut somebody out of history? They keep saying Ali is the best fighter, no I am. He was three times, I’m four,” Holyfield said 

It is natural for boxers to say they are the best. Any fighter who does not say so cannot ultimately reach the pinnacle of the sport. However, there are several other fighters who may disagree about who is the best. Oleksandr Usyk also became undisputed in two weight classes, having done so at cruiserweight and heavyweight, just like Holyfield. Usyk’s achievements were arguably more impressive since he had beaten most of his competition in their backyard. He also quickly cleaned out the heavyweight division, having beaten Daniel Dubois, Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua.

Fury was once regarded as one of the best heavyweights of this generation, with many tipping him to be competitive in any era due to his physical advantages. Floyd Mayweather is another boxer who may argue that he is the best. Mayweather retired with a 50-0 record. He is a five-weight world champion, having broken several commercial records. Floyd retired from the sport to later become a billionaire, making him the most lucrative fighter. He also developed a style where he beat his opponents while being defensively sound. 

Other Contenders

“All these guys for years said, ‘Oh, this is the guy who is going to beat Floyd.’ And I proved them all wrong. Stephen [Espinoza], I want to say thank you for just believing me. When no one else believed in me you guys believed in me. What are we rating ourselves on? “In the least amount of fights, you know, I didn’t have to have 70 fights, or 150 fights, 300 fights. “Did I or did I not beat the most world champions? In the least amount of fights? [And] who got the highest gate? Who made the most money? Who was the most accurate? It’s basically saying that,” Mayweather stated 

Whether someone is the greatest or not is ultimately a matter of public opinion. But fighters should not be criticized for believing they are the greatest since it is a sport where only the best can thrive. 

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