When International Boxing Hall of Famer Evander Holyfield came out of the 1984 Olympics, he turned professional under the guidance of promoter Main Events, which helped lead him to the undisputed cruiserweight world title and the undisputed heavyweight world title.
Thirty-five years later, Evan Holyfield, the 21-year-old son of the former four-time heavyweight champion, is turning pro and on Wednesday announced at a news conference at Fighter Nation Boxing Gym in Houston that he has signed with Main Events.
Evan Holyfield, a junior middleweight, who had more than 80 amateur fights, will be trained by Maurice “Termite” Watkins and will also have strength and conditioning coach Tim Hallmark, who spent many years working with Evander Holyfield, as part of his team.
“This is really a dream come true,” Evan Holyfield said. “I have been doing this for more than 10 years and it’s not really a job if you really enjoy it. Life is always better when you have a dream you can strive for and work towards every day. I am eager to get started and excited to begin this next chapter.”
His pro debut has not yet been scheduled.
“From the moment Termite and Tim introduced me to Evan, I was struck with his maturity, his athleticism and his passion to succeed,” said Main Events CEO Kathy Duva, whose late husband Dan Duva founded main events and signed Evander Holyfield out of the Olympics along with teammates such as Pernell Whitaker, Meldrick Taylor, Mark Breland and Tyrell Biggs. “I am thrilled and honored that he and his team have entrusted Main Events with his career. It is our goal to make the system work for him as he climbs to the top of the rankings on his way to the world title.”
Evander Holyfield was not able to make it to the news conference, but he arranged to have his son work with Watkins and Hallmark.
“Evan is very coachable and hungry to create his own name,” Watkins said. “We have assembled a great team to help him achieve that goal. … Evan is the whole package: he can box, he can punch, he is very elusive in the ring and he has incredible timing. This makes for a winning combination and we plan on going all the way. We are ready to fight.”
Hallmark has already been working with Holyfield for 14 months in preparation for his eventual professional debut.
“He has a fitter physique but, most importantly, his recovery time has improved tremendously,” Hallmark said “It is all about making him strong mentally. If he is healthier than he’s going to be able to deal with stress better. Then it is all about attitude. If he feels better, he will have a good attitude and with the right attitude he can push himself further than he ever thought possible.”