HOLYFIELD - Conference de Presse

Beaming and grinning from ear to ear, four-time world champion Evander Holyfield assured the waiting horde of boxing writers, television crews, and well-wishers at the post-fight press conference, that his win tonight, over Lou Savarese, at the Don Haskins Center in El Paso, Texas, that he is one step closer to his goal.

“I will not quit until I am champion again,” he said.  Holyfield thanked his trainer, Ronnie Shields, for preparing him to go the distance. Holyfield said what motivates him now is to be the undisputed heavyweight champion and retire.

“My intention all along was to be five-time world heavyweight champion,” he said. “But most importantly, to be the undisputed champion of the world . . .  then I will retire.”  After the ninth round, it was obvious that Savarese needed a knockout to win, but he was gracious enough to thank the assembled masses, despite looking very beat up. 

“That’s it—I’m done,” he said. “I’m officially announcing my retirement tonight.  “If you’ve got to lose a fight, its okay to lose to Evander Holyfield.”

Holyfield was very magnanimous in his praise for his fallen opponent:  “He hits hard and he buckled my knees in the third round with that right upper-cut.  But I played it cool, and did not let him know that I was hurt.  The trick is if you get hit with the first punch, don’t get hit with the second.”

When asked what’s next, Holyfield was more circumspect.  “I want one of the heavyweight champs.  It doesn’t matter which one.”

Source_Post-fight presser report by Ricardo Trujillo