Does boxing really need Evander Holyfield vs. Nikolai Valuev?

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My friend Dan Rafael at ESPN.com got the scoop that former world heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield has agreed to fight world heavyweight champion Nikolai Valuev on Dec. 20 in Europe.

Holyfield will turn 46 before the fight and is attempting to become the oldest heavyweight champ in boxing history.

But why? Because he needs the money? Holyfield was once boxing’s king of the hill, having beaten the likes of Mike Tyson (twice) and Riddick Bowe. A replay of an old Bowe bout was on an ESPN channel last night. It was a heroic, heartwarming moment, watching the swollen-faced warrior hug his children in the ring after being handed a majority decision.

Now, we’ll watch a real freak show: The old and beaten-down Holyfield taking on boxing’s carnival act, the 7-foot-tall, 320-pound Valuev. I spoke to Holyfield before he fought (and lost) a world title to Sultan Ibragimov last year. His speech was slightly slurred, but he’d insisted he’d passed every medical clearance test required to enter the ring.

I’m no doctor, but relying only on common sense, here’s hoping this bout doesn’t happen. There’s a lot of life left post-46.

-- Lance Pugmire