Holyfield knows winners write history

If there's one thing Evander Holyfield knows it's that winners write history.

Equally, the four-times heavyweight champion of the world doesn't trust historians to write about his career with anything close to accuracy unless he ends it as a winner.

"When it all ends up, when the history is written, they're going to write about who won the belts," Holyfield said earlier this week as he prepared to try to take 29-year-old John Ruiz' World Boxing Association (WBA) heavyweight title Saturday.

Holyfield also points to the 1984 Olympics as another example of historians not always telling the whole story.

Holyfield was disqualified in a controversial decision after he hit New Zealand's Kevin Barry after the bell.

But Holyfield thought he had launched the punch before the bell rang and has not been given his due as an Olympian.

"Look in the book. Evander Holyfield got disqualified. They don't tell you why. They just say Evander was there and someone was better," Holyfield said earlier this week.

So, forcing history to get it right is why the 39-year-old four-times heavyweight champion is still seeking the undisputed title 10 years after he lost it to Riddick Bowe in a 12-round decision.

Holyfield had won it by knocking out James "Buster" Douglas in 1990.

SON'S TEARS
Another reason Holyfield is still pursuing his quest -- some say fantasy -- of winning the titles again is the memory of his son's tears after the Bowe fight.

"'Daddy, Daddy,'" his son said through tears, as the father recalls it, "'you're not supposed to lose.'

"The only reason I came back was my son crying," Holyfield said.

"What was I going to tell him when he ran into problems, 'suck it up you'll do good if you work hard?'"

So Holyfield, of course, did not quit. He sucked it up and is still grinding it out in pursuit of his goal of retiring -- this time for good -- as the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world.

Along the way, Holyfield has convinced himself that his quest is a realistic goal, that he is not like so many other fighters who have stayed too long and paid horrific prices for it.

"People don't look at boxers as individuals, what kind of life styles they have, their motives. Those who say I should quit don't take time to know what my motivations are."

TOO OLD
Holyfield knows that some people say he's too old to be fighting and that he is greedy and maybe even a little crazy for still putting his body through the ring wars that have marked his career.

Holyfield (37-5-1) is quick to point out -- probably unnecessarily -- that no one is saying those things to his face.

If they were brave enough to look him in the eye and advise him to take his closely guarded millions and retire, he would tell them they don't understand the difference between goals and fantasies, but that he does.

"They get goals and fantasies mixed up. One you work for, one you hope for. My goal is to be the undisputed heavyweight champion."

Many people also don't understand, says Holyfield, "It's not in the beginning, it's how you end."