Evander Holyfield is planning to challenge Russian Nikolai Valuev for the WBA heavyweight title in a bid to become the oldest world champion in boxing history, it was revealed on Thursday.
“Yes, we are in negotiations with Evander Holyfield,” Chris Meyer, the managing director of German company Sauerland Event which represents Valuev, told reporters.
Holyfield will be 46 next Sunday. If he wins the fight, he will become the oldest heavyweight champion in history — passing George Foreman, who was 45 when he knocked out Michael Moorer in 1994.
“We have made him an offer, but nothing has been signed yet,” Mayer said. “Should the fight happen, it will likely be staged in either Switzerland or Germany in December.”
Dec. 20 has been penciled in as a possible fight date and Holyfield has confirmed his lawyer is looking at the fight contract.
“It’s solid,” Holyfield said on the ESPN.com Web site. “They asked if I will take the fight for the offer they made and if everything is straight up, I will take that fight. My lawyer is looking at it.”
With a fight record of 42 wins, 27 knockouts, nine defeats and two draws, Holyfield was the undisputed heavyweight champion in the 90s, having twice beaten Mike Tyson, before he lost his WBC, WBA and IBF belts to Lennox Lewis in 1999.
He is most famous for having his ear bitten by Mike Tyson during their fight in 1997.
But since 2001, he has won only five of his 11 fights and lost his last fight to WBO champion Sultan Ibragimov in Moscow in October last year.
Valuev defeated John Ruiz for the vacant WBA title in August and regained the title he lost to Ruslan Chagaev in April last year.
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