Holyfield and Botha to Fight in Kampala
Former World Champions Will Face Each Other in Ugandan Capital
Evander Holyfield, 47, and Francois Botha, 41, have reportedly inked a deal to fight in the Ugandan capital of Kampala on January 16th. The fight will be Holyfield’s first since his unsuccessful challenge for Nikolai Valuev’s WBA title and Francois Botha’s lightly regarded World Boxing Federation (WBF) belt will be at stake. The bout will mark a welcome return to the ring for the former champion. In the year following the Valuev loss, Holyfield has seen fights confirmed and then cancelled in the boxing outposts of Ethiopia and South Korea - the former was to be an AIDS fund-raising exhibition against local hero Sammy Retta, whilst the latter was a non-title bout against American journeyman Derrick Rossy - yet continues to cling stubbornly to his dream of capturing the heavyweight crown for an unprecedented fifth time.
The 'Rumble in the Jungle'
The clash in the Ugandan capital will mark the return of big-time heavyweight boxing to the African continent for the first time since Muhammad Ali and George Foreman faced each other in Zaire on October 30th 1974 in the classic ’Rumble in the Jungle’. Whilst this bout certainly doesn’t deserve to be held in the same regard, it does offer the public an intriguing contest between two of the best known heavyweights from the last two decades, albeit now in the twilight years of their careers.
Francois Botha World Boxing Federation Champion
Evander Holyfield, the former four time world heavyweight champion, and the first and only man to unify the world titles at cruiserweight before stepping up to do the same in boxing’s premier division, scarcely needs any introduction and is instantly recognisable to boxing aficionados and casual followers of the sport alike. His opponent, the popular South African Francois Botha, is less well known to those outside of the sport and cannot boast anywhere near the same level of success.
‘The White Buffalo’ claimed the IBF title from Germany’s Axel Schulz in 1995, but was later stripped of the crown when traces of a prohibited substance were detected in his post-fight urine test. Botha went on to claim minor world titles such as the World Boxing Union (WBU) belt, but failed to recapture a legitimate version of the heavyweight crown despite challenges to Michael Moorer, Lennox Lewis and Wladimir Klitschko. He currently holds the WBF belt which he has now defended four times, but although he can technically call himself a world champion, his title and recent fighting record doesn’t even place him in the top 15 rankings of any of the major sanctioning bodies.
Evander Holyfield Continues to Dream of Another Heavyweight Title
At 47 years of age, Evander Holyfield refuses to follow his contemporaries Lennox Lewis and Mike Tyson into a well-earned retirement and continues to ply his trade in the hope of once again being crowned heavyweight champion of the world. ‘The Real Deal’ has challenged for a version of the heavyweight title in each of his last two fights, coming up short against first Sultan Ibragimov for the WBO title in 2007 and, second, Nikolai Valuev for the WBA title in 2008, but success against Botha in December could lead to a mouth-watering clash with WBC champion Vitali Klitschko.
Holyfield’s manager Ken Sanders raised the possibility of the contest when talking to reporters about the proposed Kampala fight. “We need a good show this December in Kampala,” said Sanders, “then I would say in February or March we could have a big fight with Klitschko.”
Holyfield’s chances against the elder of the Ukranian brothers appear slender at best. Since his return to the sport following an injury-enforced hiatus Vitali has despatched ‘Nigerian Nightmare’ Samuel Peter and Chris Arreola with relative ease to first reclaim and then defend his WBC title. Should this contest happen then it is difficult to see any outcome apart from a unanimous decision win for Vitali Klitschko, the durable Holyfield should last the distance but, his speed and reflexes dulled by age, would be easily outworked and outfought by the younger man.
Can Francois Botha Beat Evander Holyfield?
It is premature, however, to speculate on the result of this proposed bout, which is dependant on Holyfield first overcoming Francois Botha and that is far from a sure thing. If these two fighters had met in their prime, logic dictates that Holyfield would have come out on top. Botha was always a tough competitor but, his tainted success against Axel Schulz apart, usually came up short against the top tier heavyweights.
In 2009 the outcome is less clear-cut and depends on which man has the most left. Botha’s recent contests indicate that, whilst he remains able to take a punch, his speed and, more worryingly, power have deserted him and he has struggled to decision wins against mediocre opponents. Holyfield, coming off back-to-back losses and seemingly able to secure big fights on the strength of his name alone, has at least been operating against a far higher level of opposition than Botha; an always in shape ‘Real Deal’ should have too much for a ‘White Buffalo’ who has looked poorly conditioned during his latest comeback.
The Importance of a World Title Fight to Uganda
No matter which fighter is proudly holding aloft the WBF belt at the end of the night in Kampala, the true winner on January 16th will be Ugandan boxing and the Ugandan people as a whole. World title fights are usually the preserve of Las Vegas casinos and sports stadia in developed nations, and this Pro Box promotion provides a rare opportunity for an African country to demonstrate to the outside world that it is capable of hosting a world class sporting event.
Holyfield and Botha Clash in Uganda
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