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Holyfield Will Fight in China Next Year
After much speculation, Evander Holyfield has finally made an agreement to fight in Beijing, according to a mainland Chinese promoter who would not immediately say on November 7 who Holyfield's opponent will be.
Great Wall International Sports Media Co. Ltd. director Niu Li-xin reached the deal Friday with Jim Thomas, Holyfield's manager, in Los Angeles confirming his bout next year, Great Wall spokeswoman Chen Ying said.
Chen said the fight is expected to be in February or June, with more details to be released at a news conference in Hong Kong later Tuesday.
Holyfield, the three-time heavyweight champion, has said he wants to recover his undisputed title lost to Lennox Lewis in 1999 and then retire.
Great Wall, based in Beijing, has said it will shoulder about 10 percent of the fight's US dlrs 40 million costs and hoped to boost Beijing's bid to host the 2008 Olympics with such a high profile event.
China lost out to Sydney seven years ago in the bidding to host the 2000 Olympics, and Beijing is now promoting its 2008 bid with near-religious fervor leading up to the International Olympic Committee vote in July.
There had been reports last month that Holyfield would fight in China, but Thomas said at the time there had been no talks on the matter.
Chen did not say who will fight the 37-year-old Holyfield. The boxer got US dlrs 5 million for fighting John Ruiz on Aug. 12 but Chen would not say how much he'll be paid in China.
Although China promotes martial arts, boxing remains an amateur sport there.
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