BARCELONA ’92 OLYMPICS : $45 MILLION AND HOLDING

World heavyweight boxing champion Evander Holyfield was an avidly sought-after customer by beach vendors at the seashore not far from Joventut Pavilion, site of the boxing competition, one recent afternoon. But the roving peddlers found that Holyfield, who has earned about $45 million in three title bouts, clings to a buck--or a peseta-- as tightly as anyone.

One vendor tried to interest Holyfield in some watches, for which he was asking 500 pesetas --about $6. Instead, Holyfield pulled out a U.S. dollar and offered it to the man for one of the watches. After some hesitation, the man agreed. But after studying the watches, Holyfield stuffed the dollar back in his fanny pack and waved the man away.

“Do you really need a watch?” Holyfield was asked.

“No, I’m just looking for a good business deal,” he replied. “I’m a bargain hunter.”

Having found nothing he considered to be a bargain, however, he left the beach. Empty-handed.

This a daily roundup of Olympic-related items from reporters in Barcelona from the Los Angeles Times, Newsday and Baltimore Sun, all Times-Mirror newspapers.