Evander Holyfield once made a drastic call for judging to be changed completely following the result of a ‘super-fight’ between two of the biggest names in the sport.
Known for his all-action fighting style, Holyfield proved himself to be one of the best heavyweights of his generation at his peak, reigning as the world heavyweight champion on four occasions during his professional career.
‘The Real Deal’ became the first fighter in boxing history to win the undisputed championship at both cruiserweight and heavyweight, a record that remained unmatched until May of 2024 when Oleksandr Usyk defeated Tyson Fury to capture all the belts at heavyweight.
In comparison to Holyfield’s exciting style of fighting, former pound-for-pound star Floyd Mayweather had a more defensive approach, and although the Michigan-native remained unbeaten during his 50 fight career, he quite often received criticism for not engaging with his opponents.
Shortly after Mayweather’s 2015 victory over Filipino icon Manny Pacquiao, Holyfield shared his thoughts in an open letter where he criticised the judges scorecards and Mayweather’s defensive style, which sparked frustration amongst the boxing community.
“I was hoping Mayweather vs. Pacquiao would start a renaissance and help bring boxing back as a major sport in America. But with the whole world watching, instead of The Fight of the Century, we got a fight that highlighted everything that’s wrong with boxing.
“The judges today are giving decisions to fighters who use defensive tactics, and he knows that. That’s why he’s now 48-0. He’s boxing according to the way judges are scoring the fights. He plays the system and he wins.
“Today, instead of boxing for the knockout, fighters are boxing for the decision. Instead of fighting to win, they’re fighting not to lose and they’re getting rewarded for it.”
Mayweather and Pacquiao locked horns in what was dubbed as ‘The Fight Of The Century’ in May of 2015, although the fight itself failed to live up to expectations.
After an underwhelming 12-rounds at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Mayweather was declared the winner via unanimous decision to unify the WBC, WBA and WBO welterweight titles.