If Evander Holyfield had his way, no one over the age of 38 would be allowed inside a boxing ring.
Which means Holyfield wouldn't be defending his heavyweight title Friday against 42-year-old Larry Holmes."If they put an age limit on these guys, I wouldn't have to fight him," Holyfield said. "People don't know how much pressure there is fighting an older fighter. It's a no-win situation."
Holyfield, appearing Tuesday with Holmes at the final pre-fight press conference, suggested an age limit of 38 for fighters. It's a subject Holyfield knows something about, having made his first title defense in April 1991 against 42-year-old George Foreman.
"It takes a lot of courage for a man of 42 to stand up to a man of 29," Holyfield said.
Holyfield, a 4-1 favorite, finds himself making his third title defense against a fighter he never wanted to meet.
When Holmes was mentioned earlier this year as a possible opponent, Holyfield told his handlers he wouldn't fight him because he had nothing to gain by beating another old fighter.
"I had already fought George Foreman, and just because he lasted 12 rounds people thought he was the greatest thing at 42," Holyfield said. "I didn't get anything out of winning the fight."
Holyfield, though, did agree to meet the winner of the Feb. 7 fight between Holmes and Ray Mercer in Atlantic City, figuring all along it would be Mercer he would be fighting.
Holmes spoiled those plans, however, by recovering from a first-round near-knockdown to give Mercer a boxing lesson en route to a unanimous decision win.
"It wasn't my intention to fight Larry Holmes," he said. "I was kind of upset when he won because I didn't want to fight him."
Holmes, who was champion from 1978-85, used the Mercer fight as a springboard to the title fight he had been seeking since beginning a comeback 19 months ago. He will make $7 million for the scheduled 12-round fight.
"I feel I'm the best fighter available for this young man here," Holmes said. "There's no quit in me. I'm going to fight this man with everything God has given me."
If he wins, Holmes, at 42 years, 7 months, would be the oldest man to capture the heavyweight championship. That honor is now held by Jersey Joe Walcott, who was 37 when he knocked out Ezzard Charles in the seventh round to win the title on July 18, 1951.
He is the second oldest to fight for the title. The oldest was Archie Moore, who was 13 days shy of his 43rd birthday when he was knocked out in the fifth round by 21-year-old Floyd Patterson in a fight for the vacant championship on Nov. 20, 1956.
Foreman was 42 years, 3 months when he lost to Holyfield.
"I can still do the same things I did before, just not as quick," Holmes said.
If Holmes should defy the odds and win, his promoter Bob Arum says he'll match Holmes against Foreman on Nov. 13 in Las Vegas.