His Atlanta-area mansion was already up for auction in 2008 for around $7.5 million, despite Holyfield owing more than $14 million on the property. Estimates suggest he earned between $230 million and $250 million over a 27-year professional career. By the end, almost everything was gone.
Holyfield’s peak earnings came during the heavyweight boom of the 1990s, including a reported $34 million payday for his 1997 rematch with Mike Tyson. Within a decade, financial strain, family obligations and mounting expenses wiped out the fortune.
However, Holyfield’s boxing resume remains extraordinary.
As an amateur, he compiled a reported record of 160 wins against 14 losses, capturing the 1984 National Golden Gloves title and earning a spot on the US Olympic team. At the Los Angeles Games he won a bronze medal.
Owning the Cruiserweight Division
He turned professional later that year and won his first 16 bouts before capturing the IBF cruiserweight title with a fourth-round knockout of Dwight Muhammad Qawi in December 1987. He unified the division soon after, stopping Carlos De Leon from adding the WBC belt.
Holyfield then moved up to heavyweight and defeated a series of established contenders including James Tillis, Pinklon Thomas and Michael Dokes. In October 1990, he won the WBC, WBA and IBF heavyweight titles by stopping James Douglas, who had stunned Tyson earlier that year.
Holyfield successfully defended his titles against George Foreman, Bert Cooper and Larry Holmes before losing the championship in a classic 1992 fight to Riddick Bowe. Two fights later, he regained the title with a majority decision over Bowe, only to lose it again to Michael Moorer.
He bounced back with a win over Ray Mercer, but was stopped in his third fight with Bowe. Holyfield later defeated Tyson twice, once by stoppage and once by disqualification, and regained the IBF title by knocking out Moorer in their rematch.
Lewis and the end of the championship run
In 1999, Holyfield fought Lennox Lewis to a controversial draw before losing the rematch. His later career was marked by mixed results, including a loss to Chris Byrd for the vacant IBF title.
Holyfield continued to fight well past his prime, ending his career in May 2011 with a victory over Brian Nielsen in Denmark.
He retired with a professional record of 44 wins, 10 losses and 2 draws, including 29 knockouts.
The record stands. Not the money.
