Quotes
50 Famous Evander Holyfield Quotes & Sayings
Which are your favorite Evander Holyfield quotes?
Evander Holyfield is an American former professional boxer who was active from 1984 until 2014. He began his career as 20 years old who fought in the 1983 Pan American Games in Caracas, Venezuela for the U.S. that made him achieved a silver medal.
Holyfield was famously known for his ability to predict his opponent’s moves. Not only that, but he also has a shockingly good kick and fighting method that nobody has ever seen. He has won more than 40 wins from his fights that made him gained the nickname ‘The Real Deal’.
Here’s a collection of the most famous Evander Holyfield quotes:
50 Famous Evander Holyfield Quotes & Sayings
1. “if you don’t delight in your work you already lost.” – Evander Holyfield
2. “I feel compassion for them all, especially Bruno. I’ve met him and he’s a good man.” – Evander Holyfield
3. “If you quit every time things don’t go your way, then you’ll be quitting all through your life.” – Evander Holyfield
4. “The main thing about Bruce Lee is that he was a little guy. And you know, his quickness, his aggressiveness, his explosive power, you have to be a great athlete to have all these, his body, his look, you know, all these things have to do with discipline and structure. He was able to go against the biggest guy, regardless of who he was.” – Evander Holyfield
5. “If you don’t take no chances, then you’re not a performer. Performers always take chances. You go see a singer, they’ll hit the high note. They’ll hit that note, they’re not afraid, they’re gonna exaggerate the fact and make me enjoy it, make me say, ‘Wow, I wish I could do that!” – Evander Holyfield
6. “When at a young age you learn to face your fears, that makes the difference between people being champions and people not being champions.” – Evander Holyfield
7. “Well, number one I like dancing. Number two I knew it would be challenging because I had never done this type of dance before. I always wanted to and I happened to have the courage to go out there and give it my best shot.” – Evander Holyfield
8. “When, at last, I know that I can stop fighting. Of course it’ll also be a little sad. The sweetest moments, y’know, always come with just a little sadness.” – Evander Holyfield
9. “I have to have an adjustment before I go into the ring. I do believe in chiropractic. I found that going to a chiropractor three times a week helps my performance. The majority of boxers go to get that edge.” – Evander Holyfield
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10. “Well, of course, a boxing match is hard because boxing isn’t set for you to do good. You have to force your will upon someone, but dancing you don’t have to force your will. It should be a lot easier because if I make a mistake I don’t get hit.” – Evander Holyfield
11. “Whipping Tyson was real sweet.” – Evander Holyfield
12. “At first, when the pain came and I saw him spit the ear outa his mouth, it was a shocking thing. Shocking things are supposed to happen to other people. But you gotta respond properly. When I came back straight at him, the hole in my ear all raw and bleeding, it was his turn to be shocked. I broke Tyson’s heart that night.” – Evander Holyfield
13. “As far as working out, I know exactly what I’m doing.” – Evander Holyfield
14. “I’ve had a great life following my faith and my instincts.” – Evander Holyfield
15. “Everyone has freedom to say whatever they want to say. I think it takes a stronger person to hold their tongue as opposed to speaking out.” – Evander Holyfield
16. “A champion shows who he is by what he does when he’s tested. When a person gets up and says ‘I can still do it’, he’s a champion.” – Evander Holyfield
17. “The game’s been good to me and I hope I’ve been good to the game. I’m 50 years old and I’ve pretty much did everything that I wanted to do in boxing.” – Evander Holyfield
18. “Bruno loved to train and keep himself in shape. And, in that sense, we’re alike. So maybe I can tell him that boxing is only one aspect of his life. It’s gone but, as a man, he should draw on the virtues he found in the ring. I want him to pray rather than surrender. That’s the best advice I can give.” – Evander Holyfield
19. “My goal is to be the undisputed Heavyweight Champion of the World.” – Evander Holyfield
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20. “The main goal now is to renew and refreshen myself.” – Evander Holyfield
21. “No. I probably do better not being in politics. They have too much control over you when you are in politics.” – Evander Holyfield
22. “A setback only paves the way for a comeback.” – Evander Holyfield
23. “It is not the size of a man but the size of his heart that matters.” – Evander Holyfield
24. “The word of God steadies me. He says your trials and tribulations make you who you are. So you can see my whole story in the way I endured and overcame some testing experiences.” – Evander Holyfield
25. “Sugar leaves you stranded; I make sure I have the proper amount of protein before I work out.” – Evander Holyfield
26. “I beat Larry Holmes and George Foreman. I whupped Mike Tyson twice. I had my ear chewed off and spat on the ground in front of me. I’ve seen everything it is possible to see in boxing. I know this business better than anyone. So I live and die by my own decisions.” – Evander Holyfield
27. “Meanwhile, people want to decide my life for me. They keep reminding me that I’m turning 41 next month. They keep telling me boxing’s a brutal business.” – Evander Holyfield
28. “People who make the choice to study, work hard or do whatever they endeavor is to give it the max on themselves to reach to the top level. And you have the people who get envy and jealous, yet are not willing to put that work in, and they want to get the same praise.” – Evander Holyfield
29. “Madison Square Garden, November 1984. I don’t recall taking too much fear into the ring. I knew I could fight. But I got a big shock. They put me in with this rough, tough veteran called Lionel Byarm. He tested me to the limit. But I fought my heart out and, in the end, I prevailed. The story of my life, in my very first fight.” – Evander Holyfield
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30. “A sight game is that I am hurt, but I aim to make you believe I am not even hurt, and with this confidence appearing on my face, I don’t panic, otherwise your opponent will know that you are hurt. That’s the whole art game in boxing.” – Evander Holyfield
31. “Stay on your toes and always move forward.” – Evander Holyfield
32. “On the surface, Tyson is more dangerous. But Toney’s much smarter than Tyson. He’s a real fighter. I might have to dig hard to win this one.” – Evander Holyfield
33. “Deep down, I reckon the sweetest moment will come when it’s finally all over.” – Evander Holyfield
34. “Fighters find it hard to give up doing what they do best – fighting for a living.” – Evander Holyfield
35. “That’s the biggest problem with boxing in the United States. They do not promote it like they used to when it used to be Howard Cosell and they showed it on ‘Wide World of Sports.’ Everybody knew all the fighters. Everybody was looking forward to the year when the Olympics came on.” – Evander Holyfield
36. “Pressure bursts pipes. I thank God for giving me peace of mind to overcome pressure. The difference between winning and losing is when pressure hits.” – Evander Holyfield
37. “Well, when I think of steroids I think of an image. You have the advantage over someone, which is a form of cheating. I guess it wouldn’t be right unless it was legal for everybody. Reason it’s not legal for everybody is because it can hurt people seriously.” – Evander Holyfield
38. “It’s only natural that the word ‘quit’ is sometimes in my head. But I ain’t chosen to say it yet. I’m still happier saying, I go on.” – Evander Holyfield
39. “I got three whippings a day from my mama.” – Evander Holyfield
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40. “When you have a sound mind, you can do what’s necessary.” – Evander Holyfield
41. “We lived in a real rough place but my mother kept me straight.” – Evander Holyfield
42. “They don’t show Olympic boxing on TV in prime time. They haven’t done that since 1988. In 1992, they showed one: Oscar De La Hoya. In 1996, they didn’t show it. In 2000, they didn’t show it. In 2004, they didn’t show it. In 2008, they did not even mention boxing at all. You would think the United States didn’t have a boxing team in 2008.” – Evander Holyfield
43. “The big guys choose who they want to fight and they think about history: ‘how many times I defended my title.’ They try to break a record: ‘how long I was there.’ But if you look at the pedigree, who they fought, ain’t nobody gonna give them credit for it because they fought a lot of people with no experience.” – Evander Holyfield
44. “I’ve now had to ask for forgiveness myself. I’m just a man. I also make mistakes.” – Evander Holyfield
45. “I lived in a project and didn’t have a good education. But I’d listen to the preacher, who said that God would show me the way. Everything starts from that confidence.” – Evander Holyfield
46. “I came up poor. My mother only had a fourth-grade education. My dad didn’t have any education at all. But they were very structured. They worked hard. You know, they didn’t complain. They didn’t murmur. And they believe in the Christ.” – Evander Holyfield
47. “I’ve seen everything it is possible to see in boxing. I know this business better than anyone. So I live and die by my own decisions.” – Evander Holyfield
48. “He listens to his trainer real good. He just doesn’t listen to me. I still can’t get him to do nothing.” – Evander Holyfield
49. “I’m just one woman away, my mother, from being the same as Mike Tyson. I would’ve ended up like him if my mama had not been so tough and strong. A lot of people, including Mike, don’t know I came from the ghetto. They think I’m too nice and proper. But that’s the way my mama raised me – to look people in the eye and respect them.” – Evander Holyfield
50. “From what I hear is happening, young Indian boxers have started to do well on the world stage and started to gain the attention of the general audience.” – Evander Holyfield
Summary
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