Evander Holyfield
Contents
- Evander Holyfield
- Who is Evander Holyfield?
- Evander Holyfield’s Atlanta Connections
- News About Evander Holyfield
- The Holyfield Mansion and Money Issues
- Steroid Use?
- Comments About LGBT Community
- People Connected to Holyfield
- Holyfield and Celebrity Culture in Atlanta
- Affiliated Organizations and Places
- Major Broadcast Cable (MBC) Network
- New South Grill
- Real Deal Records
- Warren Holyfield Boys and Girls Club of East Atlanta
- Atlanta Neighborhood Connections
- Fayetteville
- Grant Park
Who is Evander Holyfield?
Evander Holyfield is one of Atlanta’s most famous residents. His boxing career spanned from 1984 to 2011 and he was the World Champion in the Cruiser weight and Heavyweight classes. Holyfield is the only four-time world heavyweight champion, having held the Heavyweight title from 1990 to 1992; and again from 1993 to 1994, between 1996 and 1999; and from 2000 to 2001.
Holyfield first achieved national fame when he represented the United States at the 1984 Summer Olympics, winning a bronze medal in the light heavyweight division. There was some controversy around the fight when Holyfield was disqualified for hitting his opponent after a referee break. The referee’s call was controversial but it called attention to Holyfield’s boxing talents. Holyfield won the Bronze Medal.
Holyfield turned Pro after the Olympics and won his first world championship as a Cruiser-weight in 1985. He moved up to heavyweight in 1988 and defeated Buster Douglas in 1990 to become the heavyweight champion. In 1994 he retired heeding medical advice only to return to the ring in 1996 to fight Mike Tyson. Holyfield’s big fights were the two with Mike Tyson. In the second one, in 1997, Tyson bit off a piece of Evander’s ear. Tyson was disqualified from the fight but the ear has long since been a legendary boxing story.
During his career he had notable victories over George Foreman, Larry Holmes, and Riddick Bowe. Holyfield finished his career in 2012 with a record of 44 wins (29 by KO) and 10 losses. Holyfield eventually retired in 2014 and with some estimating he made over $500 million during his career. Holyfield officially retired in 2014.
In the 2000s, Holyfield was involved in a string of ventures that depleted his cash. A 109 room mansion, ventures in a restaurant, record label, Real Deal Grills, and much smaller purses for the ageing boxer took its toll and the headlines weren’t flattering. Holyfield still remains one of the biggest Atlanta success stories and his celebrity status is very much intact.
Evander Holyfield’s Atlanta Connections
- Born October 19, 1962 in Atmore, AL (near Mobile)
- Holyfield moved to Atlanta in 1967 when his Mom, Annie Riggen Holyfield, moved the family. Holyfield’s Mom worked at the old Henry Grady Hotel which was then located at the corner of Peachtree Street and Cain St (where the Peachtree Plaza Hotel now stands)
- Holyfield grew up in the Bowen Homes Housing Projects. The projects have since been demolished but were located in the neighborhood of Brookview Heights in Fulton County.
- They later moved to the Summerhill neighborhood where Turner Field is located. His home was at 275 Connally Street.
- In 1970, Holyfield began boxing lessons at the Warren Memorial Boys Club from Carter Morgan, the Center’s boxing coach. Carter Morgan told him her could be the next Muhammad Ali.
- At 13, he qualified to compete in his first Junior Olympics. By age 15, Holyfield became the Southeastern Regional Champion, winning this tournament and the Best Boxer Award. (reference)
- In 1980, Holyfield graduated from Fulton High School. Fulton High School has since merged in 1994 with Walter F. George High School and reorganized into South Atlanta High School. Fulton High School was located at the present-day Dobbs Elementary near the Lakewood area.
- In 1996 Holyfield carried the Olympic Torch when the games were in Atlanta.
- In 2017 Mayor Reed announced a statue featuring Holyfield will be created and placed in downtown Atlanta.
- Holyfield currently lives in Fayetteville, Georgia.
News About Evander Holyfield
Giant Evander Holyfield statue to be erected Downtown Article
The Holyfield Mansion and Money Issues
Rick Ross buys Evander Holyfield’s money pit Uncategorized Content
Holyfield defying odds-sanity News
Evander Holyfield is old -47 to be exact - but that doesn’t mean he’s going to - prevent further brain damage - retire anytime soon.
Following his 8th-round TKO defeat of fellow senior citizen Frans Botha, 41, this past Saturday night, it appears that Holyfield may never step out of the ring - willingly at least.
Holyfield - the only four-time heavyweight champion in boxing history...
| more...Evander Holyfield pays up, avoids jail News
It’s sad to even think that former heavyweight champ Evander Holyfield stood a chance of going to jail because he was behind on child support payments to the mother of one of his children.
But that’s what Holyfield faced in Fayette County today before he paid $9,000 in back child support and promised to meet his other obligations — private school tuition, health insurance and paying...
| more...More money woes for Evander Holyfield News
Evander Holyfield, Creflo Dollar and ‘prosperity theology’ News
It seems the “prosperity gospel” didn’t perform as advertised for former heavyweight champ Evander Holyfield.
The Associated Press reported Thursday that the Fairburn resident faces foreclosure on his 109-room mansion. Also: “the mother of one of his children is suing for unpaid child support, and a Utah consulting company has gone to court claiming the boxer failed to pay back more than a...
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Steroid Use?
Evander Holyfield: The Barry Bonds of boxing? News
Uh oh. Evander Holyfield is already changing his story. Now, he says, he did take some type of “hormone medication” for fatigue he attributes to contracting hepatitis A.
Holyfield told the AJC’s Jeff Schultz that he thinks he contracted hepatitis A by eating bad shrimp in 1995. He says he took the hormone medication briefly in 2004, but that it didn’t work and he stopped taking it....
| more...Evander Holyfield, John Rocker pulled into steroid scandal News
In the current issue of Sports Illustrated, there’s a very unsettling look into the investigation of an online steroid-distribution network that has implicated several pro athletes, including Evander Holyfield and John Rocker.
In Holyfield’s case, a patient named “Evan Fields” received steroids from a clinic in Columbus. On the patient file was a sticky note with a phone number. When the...
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Comments About LGBT Community
Evander Holyfield’s homosexual ‘fix’ falls flat Article
People Connected to Holyfield
- John Akhile, Nigerian-born Akhile (Azalea, Waverly Grill) was the chef for New South Grill, Holyfield’s restaurant in the early 2000s.
- Creflo Dollar, the celebrity preacher, Dollar, is one of the leading advocates of “prosperity gospel,” an upside-down school of Christianity, which argues that God wants you to get rich and that you’ll get particularly rich if you give obscene amount of money to your preacher. Holyfield was reported to have given $7 million to the preacher over the years.
- Jermaine Dupri, Holyfield has a cameo in Dupri’s 2001 single Welcome to Atlanta.
- Carter Morgan, Holyfield’s first boxing coach and inspiration. At 16, his boxing mentor, Carter Morgan passed away from cancer inspiring Holyfield to continue boxing.
- Rick Ross, Ricky Rozay, aka Rick Ross “the Bawse,” bought Holyfield’s mansion in 2014.
- Mike Tyson, biting Holyfield’s ear still causes one to wonder and Tyson’s sanity.
Holyfield and Celebrity Culture in Atlanta
Evander Holyfield runs in the elite Atlanta Atlanta Celebrity Scene that is fuses larger than life Professional Athletes, Hip Hop Artists, and Atlanta’s growing list of Directors, Actors and Actresses.
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Affiliated Organizations and Places
Major Broadcast Cable (MBC) Network
From 2001 - Atlanta’s nascent cable channel devoted to family values in urban programming. Operating from a nondescript studio space on Atlanta’s west side, MBC bills itself as “a place to come home to” for African-American audiences seeking shows with more uplifting messages.Holyfield served on its board.
New South Grill
Holyfield’s New South Grill was located at 6075 Roswell Road, Sandy Springs. Evander wrote the checks and Nigerian-born John Akhile (Azalea, Waverly Grill) designed a fusion menu that’s heavily weighted toward the Thai, Chinese and Italian aspects of contemporary Southern cooking. CL’s food reviewer’s take - “Good service and inconsistent kitchen work make it worth half a try”.
Real Deal Records
He founded Real Deal Records which signed the briefly successful group Exhale. Signings include gospel acts Lexi and Regina, and R&B group 4 Shades. Out of Business now.
Warren Holyfield Boys and Girls Club of East Atlanta
The Boys and Girls Club in the neighborhood where Holyfield grew up made a big impact on him. Not only did he get his inspiration for boxing from his mentor and coach, he credits the Boys and Girls Club for giving him a place of refuge. The Club is now called the Warren Holyfield Boys and Girls Club of East Atlanta. A Forbes piece in 2015 has a nice interview with Holyfield along with a photo of a smiling Holyfield as a child with a trophy in his hand.
Atlanta Neighborhood Connections
Fayetteville
Holyfield lives in Fayetteville.
Grant Park
Warren Memorial Boys Club In 1970, Holyfield began boxing lessons at the Warren Memorial Boys Club from Carter Morgan. The Boys and Girls Club is located at 790 Berne St SE, Atlanta, GA 30312.
In 1980, Holyfield graduated from Fulton High School. Fulton High School has since merged in 1994 with Walter F. George High School and reorganized into South Atlanta High School. Fulton High School was located at the present-day Dobbs Elementary near the Lakewood area - South of Grant Park. Dobbs Elementary’s address is: 2025 Jonesboro Rd SE, Atlanta, GA 30315