Holyfield Looks Like Old Warrior

Boxing is a lot like the Bible, goes the old maxim, in that ‘tis better to give than to receive, and as the holiday season descended upon the storm-lashed Eastern Seaboard, aging Evander Holyfield abruptly got religion Saturday night in the form of a decisive whipping administered by a younger, quicker Chris Byrd.

In the first of a series of heavyweight fights that promoter Don King hopes will produce a challenger that reigning World Boxing Council champion Lennox Lewis might deem worthy, the 32-year-old Byrd, a lefty who snapped his right jab throughout 12 rounds with impunity, outpointed the 40-year-old four-time champion to win a unanimous decision and the International Boxing Federation belt.

Byrd had come into the ring wearing a blue shirt that said “Jesus” in big letters. Woven into his trunks was a reference to the Biblical verse Acts 4:12. When the fight ended, the two men met in Holyfield’s corner to pray, arm in arm -- and to bear witness to a fight that gives fresh impetus to Byrd’s career and raises questions about how much longer Holyfield ought to endure such beatings.

During the 12-round fight, for instance, Byrd landed 154 jabs; Holyfield three. In all, Byrd connected with 252 punches, Holyfield 102. Judge John Stewart scored the fight, 116-112; judges Steve Weisfeld and Eugene Grant had it, 117-111.

Byrd, a silver medalist in the 1992 Olympics, improved his record to 35-2. Holyfield fell to 38-6-2. Attendance at Atlantic City’s famed Boardwalk Hall, far from full, was reported at 8,543.

Holyfield, who said afterward he had injured his left shoulder, said his career is still alive: “It’s still there and my goal is still to be undisputed heavyweight champion.”

But Byrd pointed out the obvious: “He’s a great fighter, but I beat him to the punch.”

Holyfield earned about $5 million for Saturday’s fight, Byrd $3 million -- but now Byrd is in line for a next big payday, against the winner of a March 1 bout in Las Vegas between World Boxing Assn. champion John Ruiz and Roy Jones Jr., the light-heavyweight champion who is moving up in weight.

As part of King’s newest, greatest plan, the winner of Saturday night’s fight is to be matched against the winner of the March 1 bout. That winner would then square off against Lewis in a unification bout that, in theory, would be a cash bonanza for all involved -- including, of course, King.

Many pieces of that puzzle remain to be put together, however.

For one, Lewis has to agree to it, and he said Saturday, “I’m not committed to fighting anybody.”

After he knocked out Mike Tyson in June, Lewis professed to be unimpressed with Byrd, the IBF’s No. 1-ranked contender. Thereupon he surrendered his IBF belt. Thereupon King confirmed he had paid Lewis $1 million to do so.

Thus King could launch his “tournament,” as he calls it, and Lewis could spend months watching a line of challengers get hit about the head for the opportunity to fight him -- if the price is right and someone proves suitable.

But who?

The Klitschko brothers, Vitali and Wladimir? “I don’t think he deserves to fight me,” Lewis said of Vitali, saying reports of a March 2003 pairing are not accurate and adding that Wladimir “looked like he didn’t want to get hit” in his most recent fight, on Dec. 7 in Las Vegas against Jameel McCline, a 10th-round technical knockout that went Klitschko’s way.

Jones? In a heavyweight bout, Lewis said, “I’m always going to go for the heavier guy.”

Tyson “deserves another fight” but only “if he cleans up his act and starts knocking people out.”

Ruiz at least drew a measure of Lewis’ praise: “I see him working hard.” Asked, however, if he would fight Ruiz, Lewis replied, “Perhaps.”