Holyfield needs to face the music and retire

Evander Holyfield lost soundly in last Saturday's bout against Sultan Ibragimov, but says he's not done yet. AP

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In the prime of his career, Evander Holyfield was regarded as one of boxing's fiercest warriors, a fearless combatant lauded for his willingness to chew off a body part (or have one chewed off for him) than quit on his stool.

With his best years squarely in the rear-view mirror, Holyfield is still loathe to quit, only now there isn't a soul in the sport who wishes he wouldn't.

Last Saturday in Moscow, Holyfield absorbed a decisive beating from WBO heavyweight champion Sultan Ibragimov, losing by at least six points on each of the judges' scorecards. It was the first world title bout for Holyfield (46-9-2) in five years, and most likely the last, though the four-time heavyweight champ sounds unwilling to end a career that has spanned three decades. "I still want to be the undisputed heavyweight champ," said Holyfield in a conference call with reporters. "Did I do so bad that it's an injustice for me to try?"

Well, yes. The 32-year old Ibragimov, who won the title over Shannon Briggs in June, battered Holyfield for 12 rounds, becoming the latest to contribute to a staggeringly deliberate fall from grace for Holyfield, once considered one of boxing's marquee fighters.

Today Holyfield is little more than a circus act, a low risk pugilist with marginal box office appeal (as of Tuesday the number of Pay Per View buys had not been revealed, but judging by the apathetic response in the days leading up to the fight, it's unlikely the bout was a box office bonanza). He's enlisted mostly by nondescript champions solely for his name recognition. Yet while Holyfield is willing to rejoin the pack ("I just have to get back in line," he says), there are signs for the first time that his closest advisors are reluctant to go with him.

Promoter Kathy Duva was non-committal about Holyfield's future after the fight, while longtime trainer and staunch Holyfield advocate Ronnie Shields said somberly that Holyfield "should take some time and think about what he wants to do." What he wants to do is keep fighting. What he needs to do is retire.