Evander Holyfield says he's the best boxer ever, not Muhammad Ali. The former heavyweight champ made this bold claim in a recent chat with Seconds Out.
Holyfield's got some big achievements to back up his words. He's been heavyweight champ four times and was the first boxer to be undisputed champ in two weight classes - cruiserweight and heavyweight.
He told Seconds Out:
"I'm the only four-time heavyweight champion of the world but they are still talking about Ali when I broke his record. I've been the only four-time heavyweight champion of the world for 24 years."
Holyfield held the heavyweight title from 1990 to 1992, 1993 to 1994, 1996 to 1999, and 2000 to 2001. He beat some big names like Mike Tyson, George Foreman, Riddick Bowe, and Larry Holmes.
But Holyfield feels people don't give him enough credit. He said:
"You can't talk about it until you break someone's record, they don't say nothing about me. How do you cut somebody out of history? Now I didn't even know I was the first person to be undisputed in two weight divisions, until Usyk did it."
Ali, on the other hand, is seen by many as 'The Greatest'. He became world heavyweight champ at 22 in 1964. The government took his title in 1967 when he refused to fight in Vietnam. But he came back and won it again at 32 in 1974.
Ali beat some top boxers like George Foreman, Joe Frazier, and Ken Norton. His 1974 fight with Foreman, called the 'Rumble in the Jungle', is one of boxing's most famous matches.
But Holyfield's not having it. He stated:
"They keep saying Ali is the best fighter, no I am. He was three times, I'm four."
Holyfield's not just talking about the past. He's got opinions on today's boxers too. He says there's a current world champ who's more dangerous than Mike Tyson was.
