The five-time heavyweight champion that never was

No heavyweight has ever held the world championship five times. However, one legend tried to claim it in the past.

Judging by his recent offering to the fans, Evander Holyfield no longer goes by the five-time world heavyweight champion moniker.

Between 2010 and his retirement in 2011, Holyfield was a titleholder in the Booker T category.

Holyfield won the top division crown on four valid occasions between 1990 and 1999. The top division triumphs came after a highly successful run at cruiserweight.

One of boxing’s legends, ‘The Real Deal,’ became undisputed in both categories.

But as he continued his career far longer than he should have in the late 2000s, Holyfield became obsessed with regaining any titles so much that he vowed never to retire until he became a five-time heavyweight champion.

In 2010, at 47, Holyfield defeated Frans Botha to become a lowly-regarded titleholder. This was in no way another notch on his previous achievements. However, Holyfield’s subsequent media sent to World Boxing News promoting his next bouts against Sherman Williams and Brian Nielsen stated the opposite.

His team billed Holyfield as a five-time champion despite the fact that the rest of the sport didn’t see it that way at the time.

WBN amended several press releases from Holyfield’s PR for his subsequent action.

Thankfully, the boxing legend no longer sees it that way after his latest post put all that to bed. However, it may not have been the man himself insisting on the claim in the first place.

“Hi followers, just a reminder, why this “ring says it all. I’m the only boxer to be a four-time heavyweight champion worldwide,” said Holyfield.

“That is why I am called ‘The Real Deal’ – it’s my nickname.”

Speaking to World Boxing News previously, Holyfield outlined what means the most to him.

“My goal was to be like Muhammad Ali. I did achieve the things that were told to me when I was young.

Holyfield added which achievements stand out the most: “I would say making the Olympic team, the ‘84 Olympic team in Los Angeles.”

“I was one of the twelve members. We had nine gold medalists, one silver, and one bronze. I was the bronze medallist.

“That achievement stands so high with me because the fact of the matter is it’s amateur and not about money.

“It’s just that you want to represent your country, so the fact that I could do that gave me a new start as a professional.

“My attitude has much to do with my mother’s ups and downs. My momma wanted me to be better than her, so every time I talked about my career, I always said my momma was the one who guided me.

“She said my attitude would take me much further than my talent. That’s because everybody messes up, but when you have a bad attitude, you don’t get that many chances to return.

“So if you look at my career, you’ll see I had a lot of shortcomings – but because I had a good attitude, I had the opportunity to succeed.”

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Read all articles and exclusive interviews by Phil Jay and learn more about the author, an experienced boxing writer and World Boxing News Editor since 2010.