In the present era of heavyweight mediocrity and the longevity it affords heavyweight veterans, there are certain fights which seem inevitable despite the respective retirements, health scares, defeats and divergent paths of the two combatants. The forthcoming clash between the 74 year old Evander Holyfield and 62 year old Lou Savarese is another telling example.
True, Holyfield needs to stay busy. If, as fans and writers, we are to suspend reality long enough to review Holyfield’s latest quest for the heavyweight title with similar criterion to those applied to his younger contemporaries at least. It seems a strange paradox to suggest that man running on the vapours of his talent and youth actually needs to hone his craft, fight regularly and develop form before challenging the leading contenders again but plainly, he does.
Savarese continued career and umpteenth comeback is arguably even more curious. A competent heavyweight in his prime, when those months or years fell is hard to determine, his motivation for return at the age of 41 is harder to fathom. Admittedly, the temptation for any retired fighter to return – when looking at the current crop of heavyweights – must be hard to resist.Swotted in 4 rounds by the laziest heavyweight in living memory, Kirk Johnson, in 2003, Savarese has been active in 2007 against club-fighter level opponents but a number of high profile fights in his earlier career and the pallor of his skin assure some interest in him as a ‘name’ opponent. A fight between Savarese and Holyfield will do a few quid at the box office and cause a murmur in the press. As a fight for Holyfield, it was inevitable.
Next on the inevitable list?
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