Biography

The legendary American boxer Evander Holyfield was born in 1962. Before Holyfield rose to fame as a four-time heavyweight world champion in the sport, he grew up in a small mill town in Atmore, Alabama. Evander was the youngest in a large family of nine children, and became enamored with boxing when he was barely a teenager.

His talents quickly became evidence, and by the time he was fifteen, Evander Holyfield had earned the title of Southeastern Regional Champion.  Holyfield turned professional at the age of twenty-one, winning his first title in 1985, in the cruiserweight division. Evander Holyfield’s career highlights include earning a bronze medal in the 1984 Summer Olympics, in addition to his heavyweight championships. In the ring, Holyfield has won battles against such notable fighters as: Mike Tyson, George Foreman, Ray Mercer, and Larry Holmes. He ranks as The Boxing Scene’s Greatest Cruiserweight of all time, and he is listed on Ring Magazine’s 100 Greatest Punchers of All Time. 

Holyfield’s celebrity has been enhanced by his high-profile endorsements for such companies as Coca Cola and Zaxby’s. Outside of the ring, Evander has invested in a number of projects, including the founding of Real Deal Records. He has also appeared on a number of television shows, including the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and in the movies Summer of Sam and Necessary Roughness. Most recently, Holyfield competed in Dancing with the Stars and in 2014, he joined the cast of Celebrity Big Brother (UK.) Unfortunately, he was the first housemate to be evicted from the season’s show.