Should Holyfield triumph, he would become the oldest heavyweight champion in history. But that should not make this fight right. Holyfield, great fighter that he has been, should be advised that his time is over. It is another reflection on the current state of the world heavyweight division. George Foreman, who was 45 when he knocked out Michael Moorer in 1994 in one of boxing's greatest upsets, is currently the oldest man to hold a heavyweight title belt. Holyfield, a four-time heavyweight champion, turns 46 on October 19 and has been out of the ring since losing on a unanimous decision to Sultan Ibragimov, the then-WBO heavyweight champion, on Oc 13, 2007. Holyfield looked laboured in that fight. Valuev (49-1, 34 KOs) has won his last three bouts, including a unanimous decision over John Ruiz on August 30 to claim the vacant belt. Holyfield (42-9-2, 27 KOs) said yesterday that his legal team are looking over the contract from Valuev promoter Sauerland Event for a fight that would take place Dec 20 in either Germany or Switzerland. “If everything is straight up, I will take that fight," Holyfield told ESPN.com on Thursday, yet it will have been 14 months since he was in a ring contest. Holyfield, who is 6ft 2ins and about 215 pounds, will be at a massive size disadvantage in the fight, like most of Valuev's opponents. Russia's Valuev (49-1, 34 KOs), who regained a vacant belt by outpointing John Ruiz in a rematch on Aug 30, is the biggest titleholder in history. He is 7ft and weighs about 320 pounds. Holyfield, a light-heavyweight in the 1984 Olympics and former cruiserweight world champion, said the size difference doesn't bother him. Holyfield made news in July when his financial problems were made public after the mother of one of his children took him to court over missing child support payments. There were also threats of foreclosure on his sprawling, 54,000-square-foot suburban Atlanta estate. It is believed Holyfield will earn less than $750,000 for the contest.
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