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Holyfield: 'It's not over' Ex-champ not ready to retire
Updated: Sunday March 04, 2001 8:01 PM
LAS VEGAS (AP) -- Beating Evander Holyfield was hard enough. Now John Ruiz faces an even more difficult task -- convincing the world that he is a legitimate heavyweight champion. It won't be easy for Holyfield, either. Exposed once again Saturday night as an aging fighter, he must answer the questions about why he continues to fight. "It's not over with me," Holyfield said. "There's nothing to think about. I will go out on top and I will go out as a champion." Ruiz savored the moment as the new WBA heavyweight champion after knocking Holyfield down in the 11th round and winning a unanimous decision against a fighter who seemed long past his prime at the age of 38. It was an ugly fight filled with fouls and clinches, and Ruiz's bloodied and puffy face looked even worse. But it was enough to make the "Quiet Man" from Massachusetts the first Hispanic to hold the heavyweight title. "I'm speechless," Ruiz said. "It's a joy and an honor." Ruiz, nothing more than a journeyman before dropping a close decision to Holyfield when they met last August, evened things in the rematch when he took control of a close fight with a huge right hand early in the 11th round that put Holyfield down for one of the few times in his career. Holyfield got up but desperately hung on to Ruiz the rest of the round, at one point grabbing him around the waist and stumbling all the way across the ring hanging on so he wouldn't fall down. There was no question about the unanimous decision, but there were some about the legitimacy of the title in a division where Lennox Lewis is considered by almost all to be the true champion. "He beat the man who beat the man (Mike Tyson)," said Ruiz's manager, Norman Stone. "Everybody knocked John Ruiz. But John is everything that is good about boxing." Ruiz earned his second million-dollar payday and put himself in line for more lucrative bouts against the likes of Tyson and Lewis by consistently beating Holyfield to the punch in a fight that left him with cuts and bruises under both eyes and on his forehead. The winner was supposed to fight in China on June 30, though that will now be pushed back while promoter Don King renegotiates with Chinese promoters who figured that Holyfield would be the fighter heading their way. For Ruiz, the win capped an improbable climb to the top that included four losses, including a 19-second knockout by David Tua in 1996. The 29-year-old rebounded to win 11 in a row before dropping a decision to Holyfield in their first fight. "It's been a long journey," Stone said. "We made it to the top on credit cards." Holyfield, meanwhile, wasn't ready to talk about retirement, despite being seemingly unable to pull the trigger with his punches even though he was in position. Holyfield hasn't had a knockout since stopping Michael Moorer in November 1997, and is 1-2-1 in his last four fights -- though he could easily have been 0-4. "I've got to go back and fight like I used to fight," Holyfield said. "I can't allow things to go the distance. I don't think I had a bad day, I just can't let the judges make the decision." Holyfield's desire to fight may still be there, but his options are increasingly limited. He won a portion of the heavyweight title for the fourth time when he beat Ruiz to win the WBA crown that a judge stripped from Lewis, but now must fight as a contender once again. "I never thought I'd be the five-time heavyweight champion, but I guess I have to be now," Holyfield said. Holyfield is not likely to get a third fight with Lewis, and Ruiz didn't seem eager to fight him a third time, either. "I hope he retires because I don't want to see him again," Ruiz said. "He is one tough guy." That leaves Holyfield with only one opportunity to earn the big money he is so used to getting for his fights -- a third fight with Tyson. "I thought Tyson was afraid of him, but after this fight he might not be any more," said Holyfield's manager, Jim Thomas. "We may be right back to where we were before the first Tyson fight, with Tyson thinking now he can beat Evander. I think that raises the likelihood of a Tyson fight."
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