45 year old Holyfield may face Valuev for title

Evander Holyfield is close to signing a deal to face WBA Heavyweight Champion Nikolai Valuev in a title bout.  According to Holyfield, it’s all but signed with his lawyers in the process of a review of the contract.  Should the fight come off as planned, it will be held December 20th in either Germany or Switzerland.

The fight would be a study in extremes—a matchup between the tallest heavyweight champion in history (Valuev is 7 feet tall) and potentially the oldest.  Holyfield will be 46 at fight time, meaning that should he win he could become the oldest heavyweight champion in history.  George Foreman was 45 when he knocked out Michael Moorer to regain the heavyweight title in 1994.

While he expects others to make a big deal over his age, Holyfield is nonplused by it:

"They said I was too old when I was 34 and was getting ready to fight Mike Tyson for the first time. There's nothing new with what people say. I have a desire and I am the one who got to train and I am willing to make the sacrifices necessary to be the best. Just imagine a 46-year-old guy being heavyweight champ of the world?"

Holyfield is also not concerned about the huge stature of his opponent:

"Of course, he will be the biggest guy I have fought but it's something that could be very interesting. I will have a big target. I have to do the things I believe he can't do. He can't move laterally. I got to get in quick, fight and don't stand still too long. I just have to be in tremendous shape to outmaneuver him." The day after Holyfield went public with the potential fight against Valuev, the promotional company representing the Russian champion said that Holyfield was only a “candidate” for the fight and that it wasn’t a done deal.  While many are of the opinion that this is merely a negotiating tactic by the Valuev camp, others are questioning whether the fight will ever occur.