When's the last time you were excited about an Evander Holyfield fight? Go ahead and think about it. We'll wait…
Okay, now consider this: Even though he turns 50 on Friday, Mike Tyson's former foe is still trying to box. Or, rather, he was still trying to box. But, because of the very thin heavyweight boxing division—and because he's had trouble the last few years finding worthy opponents—Holyfield just announced that he is officially retiring from the sport of boxing, effective immediately.
"The game's been good to me and I hope I've been good to the game," Holyfield told SI yesterday. "I'm 50 years old [on Friday] and I've pretty much did everything that I wanted to do in boxing."
And yet, it still sounds like he's retiring from boxing because he has to, not necessarily because he wants to.
"Even at this old age I'm willing to fight the Klitschkos," he said. "I can beat the Klitschkos, but they didn't want to do it. I can't make nobody fight."
And, no one can make you retire. But, we're glad to see you doing it on your own, because it's been awhile since you've been involved in a worthwhile fight. Your run was epic, and you were definitely one of the most notable boxers of your era. But, that era is over. Now, go enjoy the next stage in your life. There's more money to be made in another arena.
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[via SI]
