Celebrity fights have been fun, but Holyfield-Belfort crossed the line

Published

3 years ago

September 13, 2021

admin

12:53 AM ET

This new genre of novelty boxing matches — fights between celebrities, legends and social-media influencers — has been one of the most popular things in combat sports over the last year. Mike Tyson and Ron Jones Jr. set the stage last November, and the trend has continued to gain momentum since then. Despite some big fights between some of the best fighters in the sport, the Floyd Mayweather vs. Logan Paul exhibition is the biggest boxing pay-per-view event of 2021 so far. Jake Paul vs. Tyron Woodley last month could end up being second.

But if people are going to continue plunking down their hard-earned money to buy these shows, there needs to be an adequate payoff. That was missing Saturday night with the unfortunate bout and finish between Vitor Belfort and Evander Holyfield match under the Triller Fight Club banner in Hollywood, Florida. Belfort earned a first-round TKO victory over Holyfield in a fight where Holyfield landed only one punch.

Simply, and with all due respect to a legendary boxer, the 58-year-old Holyfield should not have been in the ring Saturday night. He came in on just a week’s notice after Belfort’s original opponent, Oscar De La Hoya, was hospitalized with COVID-19. The fight was originally scheduled to happen in Los Angeles, but the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) would not approve Belfort vs. Holyfield, so the entire event got moved to Florida and a more amenable commission.

“I was not agreeable with the match based on a variety of regulatory factors and we did not have adequate time for [Holyfield] to go through an extensive licensing process,” CSAC executive officer Andy Foster said.

De La Hoya vs. Belfort was on the borderline of combat sports regulation. The two men were in the same age range — De La Hoya is 48 and Belfort 44 — and De La Hoya was a phenomenal boxer before his retirement in 2008. Belfort is an MMA fighter who is tied for the most knockouts in UFC history, but doesn’t have any recent experience in the squared circle. The one thing anyone who has followed Belfort’s career knows about him is that he has hand speed and pop in his punches.

But Holyfield? Sure, he looked shredded from a pure appearance perspective, especially for his age. But that’s where the positive optics ended. The buzz this week in South Florida was less about the fight and more about Holyfield struggling in interviews and looking like a shell of his former incredible self in a public workout.

Holyfield was not sandbagging in that workout, and what many people thought would happen Saturday night did indeed happen.

Early in the first round, the only boxer in the three-belt era to become an undisputed champion in two divisions slipped on a left hook attempt and fell along the apron, between the bottom two ropes. It was difficult to watch. Belfort followed with a couple of punching flurries, scoring a knockdown.

Holyfield got up, but was doing little more than eating punches (some on his gloves). Referee Samuel Burgos mercifully stepped in. Holyfield argued that it was an early stoppage when most watching probably thought it should have been over sooner.

Holyfield seemed fine after the fight during an interview with the broadcast team, but on a negative note, he said he wants to fight again, and he’s still interested in a rematch with Mike Tyson.

At some point, someone needs to step in and advise against it. No one wants to tell a grown man he cannot make a living, but boxing is not a game. There are real, lasting ramifications, and everyone involved is lucky Belfort vs. Holyfield did not end up worse. That might not be the case next time.

Belfort called out Jake Paul in his postfight interview, with Triller putting up a winner-take-all prize of $30 million. UFC all-time great Anderson Silva likely has a big payday awaiting him following his devastating knockout of fellow MMA legend Tito Ortiz on the undercard.

That’s all well and good. There is nothing wrong with fighters getting paid to compete against opponents of a similar skill level and size. As long as people are willing to pay for them, these events will continue on. But there’s just no good reason for a nearly 60-year-old man to be taking punches to the head from a younger, faster, more explosive opponent.

Everyone involved — commissions, promoters, coaches and the fighters themselves — need to exercise discretion as we move forward, because combat sports as we know it could be hanging in the balance.

All that needs to happen is for one fighter to get seriously injured — or worse — in one of these novelty matchups, and the consequences could lead to the entirety of combat sports facing a reckoning.

Sports

Brewers’ Montas, Rea headed to free agency

Published

52 mins ago

November 5, 2024

admin

Brewers' Montas, Rea headed to free agency

Associated Press

Nov 4, 2024, 05:56 PM ET

MILWAUKEE — The Brewers‘ starting rotation could have a new look next season with right-handers Frankie Montas and Colin Rea heading into free agency.

The Brewers announced Monday that Montas had declined his part of a $20 million mutual option for 2025. The Brewers turned down the $5.5 million club option on Rea’s contract.

Montas receives a $2 million buyout and Rea gets a $1 million buyout.

In other moves Monday, right-hander Kevin Herget was claimed off waivers by the New York Mets, and left-hander Rob Zastryzny was claimed off waivers by the Chicago Cubs. First baseman Jake Bauers and right-hander Bryse Wilson cleared waivers and were sent outright to Triple-A Nashville.

Montas, 31, had a combined 7-11 record with a 4.84 ERA and 148 strikeouts over 150⅔ innings in 30 starts for the Cincinnati Reds and Brewers this season. He was 3-3 with a 4.55 ERA in 11 starts for the Brewers, who acquired him just before the trade deadline.

Rea, 34, was 12-6 with a 4.28 ERA this season in 32 appearances, including 27 starts. He struck out 135 in 167⅔ innings. Rea had an 8.31 ERA in September and was left off the Brewers’ NL Wild Card Series roster.

Herget, 33, had no record with one save and a 1.59 ERA in seven appearances with Milwaukee this year. He was 5-1 with four saves and a 2.27 ERA in 38 relief outings with Triple-A Nashville.

Zastryzny, 32, was 1-0 with a 1.17 ERA in nine appearances with Milwaukee. He pitched in 30 games with Nashville and went 4-0 with a 3.03 ERA.

The 29-year-old Bauers batted .199 with a .301 on-base percentage, 12 homers and 43 RBIs in 116 games this season. He also hit a seventh-inning homer that broke a scoreless tie in the decisive Game 3 of the Wild Card Series with the Mets, who rallied in the ninth to win 4-2.

Wilson, who turns 27 on Dec. 20, went 5-4 with a 4.04 ERA in 34 appearances, including nine starts.

Sports

Maton hits free agency after Mets decline option

Published

52 mins ago

November 5, 2024

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Maton hits free agency after Mets decline option

Associated Press

Nov 4, 2024, 05:41 PM ET

SAN ANTONIO — Right-hander Phil Maton became a free agent Monday after the New York Mets declined his $7,775,000 option in favor of a $250,000 buyout.

The 31-year-old was 2-1 with a 2.51 ERA in his first season with New York, which acquired him from Tampa Bay on July 9. Maton was 3-3 with a 3.66 ERA in a career-high 71 games overall and had a $6.25 million salary.

New York also announced left-hander Sean Manaea declined his $13.5 million option to become a free agent for the third consecutive offseason. Manaea agreed to a contract in January that included a $14.5 million salary for 2024, and the 32-year-old went 12-6 with a 3.47 ERA in 32 starts, striking out 184 and walking 63 in 181⅔ innings.

After dropping his arm slot in midseason, he became the Mets most effective starting pitcher and went 6-2 with a 3.09 ERA.

Sports

Rangers All-Star P Eovaldi declines $20M option

Published

52 mins ago

November 5, 2024

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Rangers All-Star P Eovaldi declines M option

Associated Press

Nov 4, 2024, 01:29 PM ET

Two-time All-Star starter Nathan Eovaldi became a free agent Monday after declining a vested $20 million player option for next season with the Texas Rangers.

Eovaldi will get a $2 million buyout from that option earned by throwing more than 300 innings over his two years with the Rangers after joining them in free agency. He was the winning pitcher in their World Series-clinching game at Arizona in 2023, when he was 5-0 with a 2.95 ERA in six postseason starts. He was also part of Boston’s 2018 title.

The Rangers had expected Eovaldi to decline the option, but would still like to re-sign the 34-year-old right-hander and Texas native.

“We still have great interest in bringing him back,” said Chris Young, the team’s president of baseball operations. “We’re still going to work towards hopefully getting him back in the Rangers uniform.”

Texas declined a $6.5 million team option for Andrew Chafin, a left-handed reliever acquired from Detroit in a deadline trade. Chafin got a $500,000 buyout and became a free agent after 62 combined appearances in 2024 that triggered $625,000 in bonuses on top of his $4.75 million salary, plus a $250,000 assignment bonus for the trade.

Eovaldi was 24-13 with a 3.72 ERA in 54 starts the past two seasons, and had 298 strikeouts over 314 2/3 innings. He was 12-8 with a 3.80 ERA in 29 starts this year. He threw seven scoreless innings at the Los Angeles Angels to win the season finale for the Rangers, who finished 78-84 and missed the playoffs.

Texas was the sixth big league team for Eovaldi, who is 91-81 with a 4.07 ERA in 294 career games (275 starts) since his debut in 2011 with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Besides Boston, he also has pitched for Miami, the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay.

His $34 million deal with the Rangers included a $16 million salary each of the past two seasons, and a $2 million signing bonus. He also earned multiple bonuses for being an All-Star in 2023 and reaching certain levels of innings pitched.

Three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer and left-hander Andrew Heaney, who made a team-high 31 starts, are also free agents.

The Rangers still have two-time Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom and Tyler Mahle under contract after both made three starts at the end of last season after recovering from elbow surgery in 2023. Jon Gray has one more season left on his four-year deal, and former first-round draft picks Jack Leiter and Kumar Rocker made their big league debuts this year.

Chafin, who pitched in 21 games for the Rangers, is the fifth Texas reliever to become a free agent. He joined four right-handers: All-Star closer Kirby Yates, veteran David Robertson, José Leclerc and José Ureña in free agency. The 39-year-old Robertson on Saturday declined a $7 million mutual option, triggering a $1.5 million buyout.

Seager recovery

Young said two-time World Series MVP Corey Seager is recovering “nicely” from his second hernia surgery in less than eight months.

Seager’s season ended in September after he had a right sports hernia repair, on the opposite side of his abdomen from the Jan. 30 procedure. Seager missed most of spring training and did not play in his first exhibition game until March 23.

“I believe he’s close to resuming a normal offseason and his normal strength and conditioning program,” Young said.

Seager was ready for the March 28 opener in his third season of a $325 million, 10-year contract. The 30-year-old shortstop hit .278 with 30 homers and 74 RBI in 123 games before going on the injured list Sept. 4 with right hip discomfort.