Holyfield remains the only fighter to have unified the cruiserweight division before moving up to become undisputed heavyweight champion.
Evander Holyfield is a retired American boxer who fought from 1984 to 2011. The American had huge success in the latter half of the last century and was part of a 'Golden Age' era during the 1990s in heavyweight boxing.
After turning over in 1984 (following a controversial result at the Los Angeles Olympics), Holyfield quickly blazed a trail through the cruiserweight division.
In April 1988 after knocking out Carlos DeLeon, he became boxing's first undisputed cruiserweight champion. However, Holyfield knew the real fame and riches would lay at heavyweight and it was not long before he was beating the top names in boxing's biggest division.
Six fights into his career as a heavyweight, Holyfield destroyed James "Buster" Douglas to become undisputed champion of the world in 1990. A fight against Mike Tyson looked a certainty at that point but due to "Iron" Mike's legal issues at the time, the pair would not lock horns until 1996 and 1997, which both ended in wins for Holyfield.
Holyfield would go on to box a memorable trilogy with Riddick Bowe while also taking on and defeating high-profile veterans such as George Foreman and Larry Holmes prior to that. In 1999 Holyfield engaged in two huge heavyweight unification fights against Lennox Lewis. At the turn of the century, he would regain and lose the WBA world heavyweight title and tasted defeat to Chris Byrd in 2002 for the IBF version.
Like most great fighters, Holyfield boxed past his peak and finally hung the gloves up in 2011 following his stoppage victory over Brian Nelson in 2011.
Tyson Holyfield
A slew of defeats late in his career did little to tarnish his legacy and the Atlanta, Georgia native is regarded among the best modern heavyweights. While considered small in comparison to today's behemoths, Holyfield was a throwback who could do it all.
History will remember him as a humble champion who could box, fight, move and punch. He possessed a great chin and had endless reserves of stamina despite a heart condition that threatened to derail his career at its zenith. Always in shape and ready to fight, Holyfield will be remembered as a true warrior of the sport.
The greatest hits: Tyson, Lewis and Bowe
Tyson vs Holyfield 1 and the Bite Fight
Evander Holyfield's net worth
Personal life
Amateur career: Class of '84
Evander Holyfield News
Mike Tyson vs Evander Holyfield 2: Looking back on the 'Bite Fight' 25 years on
Twenty-five years ago Mike Tyson was struggling to come to terms with the fact his self-styled reputation as ‘The Baddest Man on the Planet’ was in grave jeopardy.
Heavyweight boxing fights in the 1990s: Fights that never happened part two
So often a story of what might have been, boxing is a sport, unlike any other, where all too often, the sport's best fighters all too often fail to lock horns inside the ring.
Heavyweight boxing fights in the 1990s: Bowe, Foreman, Galota - the best of the rest
Widely regarded as one of the greatest eras in heavyweight boxing, the 1990s was a truly exceptional fighting decade for the sport.
Heavyweight boxing: The fights we missed out on in the 1990s, including Tyson vs Lewis
The heavyweight division in the 1990s was a beautiful era but as ever, there are always fights that fans wish could have happened.
Six boxers who made an impact in WWE: Tyson Fury, Mike Tyson, Floyd Mayweather and more
Here’s a look at six big-name boxers who crossed over to make an impact in the wrestling world following Logan Paul's impressive performance at Wrestlemania 38.
How does Anthony Joshua’s record compare to Lewis, Tyson and Holyfield?
Anthony Joshua is set to return to the ring later this year for the first time since relinquishing his heavyweight world titles to Oleksandr Usyk in September 2021.