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For real? Holyfield, 47, wins a heavyweight title
Associated Press ^ | 4-11-10

Posted on 04/11/2010 12:27:52 PM PDT by Justaham

LAS VEGAS - Former heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield is using George Foreman’s comeback more than 15 years ago as inspiration.

The 47-year-old Holyfield (43-10-2, 28 KOs) knocked out 41-year-old Frans Botha with 2:05 left in the eighth round to claim the WBF heavyweight championship on Saturday night. Holyfield (43-10-2) knocked the defending champion down 31 seconds earlier with a right to the chin.

Botha (47-5-3) beat refree Russell Mora’s count, but Mora then stopped the fight with the South African backed into a corner.

(Excerpt) Read more at nbcsports.msnbc.com ...


TOPICS: Miscellaneous; Sports
KEYWORDS: boxing; evanderholyfield; holyfield

1 posted on 04/11/2010 12:27:53 PM PDT by Justaham
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To: Justaham

Botha is an old fighter who wasn’t good enough to be a champ when he was younger. Aren’t there any decent young heavyweights, or is this one of the “other” belts left over from when the divisions got fractured years ago?


2 posted on 04/11/2010 12:31:31 PM PDT by Pearls Before Swine
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To: Justaham
to claim the WBF heavyweight championship

lol..some title there. How many "world title" governing bodies exist now, about 50? I think I'll start one, kick the hell out of some local commie, and claim one of those titles for myself.

3 posted on 04/11/2010 12:33:36 PM PDT by Mr. Mojo
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To: Justaham
Ouch. That's a nasty-looking shot Holyfield laid on him in that 7th round photo. He looks like he's in better shape than Botha.

Foreman used to say he never lost his power, just his speed, so it was harder to connect, but if he did, watch out.

I suppose it says more about the state of heavyweight boxing than anything else, when an old man can compete like that.

4 posted on 04/11/2010 12:33:53 PM PDT by FlyVet (1)
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To: Pearls Before Swine; Justaham

Maybe the good large American athletes prefer to go into other sports these days.


5 posted on 04/11/2010 12:35:11 PM PDT by EveningStar (Karl Marx is not one of our Founding Fathers.)
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To: Justaham

I haven’t heard any build up to this at all.

Wasn’t the WBF once the most premier of the sanctioning bodies? or was that WBC?

I dunno.


6 posted on 04/11/2010 12:41:53 PM PDT by GeronL (Entitlement Zombies will become real zombies when the money runs out)
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To: Justaham

Botha? Wow. He’s the best competition for Hollyfield?


7 posted on 04/11/2010 12:50:19 PM PDT by DesertSapper (God, Family, Country . . . . . . . . . . and dead terrorists!!!)
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To: GeronL
First it was the WBA (started in the early '20s), then WBA, then IBF. ...and then the slew of others.

Imo, there should be one governing body -- one champion per division. And 8 divisions, not the 16 or so that exist now.

8 posted on 04/11/2010 12:53:01 PM PDT by Mr. Mojo
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To: Mr. Mojo

That would be a monopoly or something.

The WBA can put them out of business by doing a better job.


9 posted on 04/11/2010 12:54:17 PM PDT by GeronL (Entitlement Zombies will become real zombies when the money runs out)
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To: GeronL

They’re ALL corrupt to the core.


10 posted on 04/11/2010 12:55:24 PM PDT by Mr. Mojo
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To: Pearls Before Swine

I’ve seen K-1 fighters who would be heavyweight boxing champion contenders if they chose to be.


11 posted on 04/11/2010 3:47:54 PM PDT by luvbach1 (Stop Barry now. He can't help himself.)
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To: Mr. Mojo

There are four major heavyweight boxing titles and those don’t include The Ring and lineal titles.


12 posted on 05/16/2010 10:58:19 AM PDT by Silver Sabre
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To: GeronL

Definitely not the WBF. WBC is one of the big 4.


13 posted on 05/16/2010 10:58:19 AM PDT by Silver Sabre
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To: Mr. Mojo

WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO in that order.

This is a useful link for keeping track.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_current_world_boxing_champions


14 posted on 05/16/2010 10:58:19 AM PDT by Silver Sabre
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To: Mr. Mojo

Pretty much.


15 posted on 05/16/2010 10:58:20 AM PDT by Silver Sabre
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