Holyfield, Evander, 1962–, American boxer, b. Atmore, Ala. Favored to win the 1984 Olympic heavyweight title, but victim of a controversial disqualification, he turned professional and became cruiserweight world champion in 1988. In 1990 he defeated Buster Douglas to win the world heavyweight title. Losing it to Riddick Bowe in 1993, he beat Bowe in 1993, only to lose the title to Michael Moorer in 1994. After retiring briefly, he defeated Mike Tyson Tyson, Mike (Michael Gerald Tyson), 1966–, American boxer, b. Brooklyn, N.Y. At the age of 12, Tyson was sent to reform school, where he began to box. In a whirlwind career begun in 1985, his spare, brutal style (36 knockouts in his first 41 wins) rescued him
..... Click the link for more information. in 1995 to regain the title, then kept it following a notorious 1997 rematch in which Tyson was disqualified for biting off part of Holyfield's ear. He fought Lennox Lewis Lewis, Lennox (Lennox Claudis Lewis), 1965–, British-Canadian boxer. Born in London, England, to Jamaican parents, Lewis had a troubled childhood and followed his mother to Canada at the age of 12.
..... Click the link for more information. to a draw in a controversial decision in 1999, then lost a rematch later the same year. After Lewis lost his World Boxing Association (WBA) title in a court decision, Holyfield regained (2000) that title in a fight with contender John Ruiz. The next year, however, Ruiz defeated him in a rematch and retained the title in a controversial draw.

Holyfield, Evander

(born Oct. 19, 1962, Atmore, Ala., U.S.) U.S. boxer. Holyfield is the only boxer to win a version of the heavyweight championship four separate times (Muhammad Ali won the heavyweight championship three times). Holyfield's first title win was against James “Buster” Douglas in 1990 and he won the unified title at that time. He lost the title to Riddick Bowe in 1992, recaptured it in 1993, and lost it to Michael Moorer in 1994. When he fought Mike Tyson in 1996, he regained only the WBA (World Boxing Association) portion of the title. In 1997 he won the IBF (International Boxing Federation) heavyweight title from Moorer. In Holyfield's title defense against Tyson in 1997, Tyson was disqualified for biting Holyfield's ear. Holyfield lost the IBF and WBA titles to the WBC (World Boxing Council) heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis in 1999, but Lewis later was stripped of the WBA portion of his title, and when Holyfield beat John Ruiz in the subsequent WBA title bout in 2000, he became the first man to win a championship in the heavyweight division for the fourth time.