"Names change, not the results or the sadness" - Teddy Atlas reacts to Evander Holyfield's less-than-impressive performance in knockout loss against Vitor Belfort
Evander Holyfield suffered a first-round defeat to Vitor Belfort at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida, on Saturday. Ever since Holyfield was announced as Vitor Belfort's new opponent, many fans and pundits have criticized the move stating that 'The Real Deal' was too old to be making a return to the ring.
Now, renowned boxing trainer and color commentator Teddy Atlas has also joined the brigade. In a recent tweet, he said it was sad to see Holyfield go down in this manner.
"Joe Louis, Ali, Holyfield, only the names change, not the results or the sadness," said Teddy Atlas.
Find the tweet from Teddy Atlas below:
The 58-year-old Holyfield replaced former six-division champion Oscar De La Hoya, who tested positive for COVID-19, on the card.
Much like Evander Holyfield, other boxing greats Joe Louis and Muhammad Ali announced their retirement from the sport and returned later, only to lose their respective bouts. Before this, Holyfield last fought Danish star Brian Nielsen in 2011 and won via TKO.
Former UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping seemed to agree with Teddy Atlas' opinion on the performance of the former undisputed cruiserweight and heavyweight world boxing champion.
Evander Holyfield struggled to mount any offence against Vitor Belfort
Though it was only an exhibition bout, the 58-year-old Evander Holyfield was in no shape to fight Vitor Belfort, who is 14 years younger than him. He hardly had any offense throughout the fight, which lasted for a minute and 49 seconds.
Holyfield didn't agree with the referee's stoppage after the bout. But most people who witnessed the fight live in the stadium and streamed it from their homes felt the first-round knockout was the right decision.
The Florida State Athletic Commission had initially approved the Holyfield vs. Belfort clash as a professional boxing bout. But Triller Fight Club then gave 'The Real Deal' the option of changing it into an exhibition outing in his contract, despite advertising it as a pro contest.