After his second win over Mike Tyson in June, known more for the ear bite than anything else, Evander Holyfield set his eyes on Michael Moorer’s IBF championship belt, the one he had captured by defeating Axel Schulz in June of 1996. The bout was set for November 8th, 1997 at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas, and I looked forward to it.
Evander was the favorite going in, and came in weighing a ripped 214 lbs., while Moorer appeared soft at 223 lbs. The action was brisk and competitive through the opening rounds, but changed dramatically in the fifth, when Holyfield dropped Michael late in the round.
After a close sixth, the ‘Real Deal’ dropped Moorer twice in the seventh. That was followed by two more knockdowns in the eighth. While Moorer showed courage and grit by getting up from each knockdown, his corner stopped the fight after the end of round eight.
Evander had added the IBF belt to his collection, and had looked spectacular in doing so. He seemed reborn at age 35, and was on top of the boxing world once again.
