This time, Evander Holyfield says he'll have to box, to move and stick, to dance. At least he's got the right manager for that - the rappin'est, hip-hoppin'est manager in the fight game, Hammer.
With his new manager sitting alongside him, Holyfield appeared at a news conference in Harlem on Thursday along with world heavyweight champion Riddick Bowe to announce their Nov. 6 rematch at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas."I'm just thankful for the chance to fight for the heavyweight title again," said Holyfield, at 30, four years older than Bowe.
Bowe won the undisputed title from Holyfield last Nov. 13 with a 12-round decision but was later stripped by the WBC. Bowe still holds the IBF and WBA versions.
The announcement was held at the well-known Harlem soul food restaurant Sylvia's, and it looked like Bowe had spent quite a bit of time there since his second-round knockout of Jesse Ferguson last May 22.
Bowe said he weighs about 265 but will come into the fight around 230-235.
"I know I'm a little big, but I know what I've got to do," Bowe said. "You know what Evander once told me. He said he could hit me with his eyes closed. You know what I'm going to do? I'm going to close his eyes for him and let him try it."
Since their first fight, Bowe and Holyfield have become friends, but that friendship will go only so far. To about the opening bell, to be exact, Bowe said.
"I love the man. I've got all the respect in the world for Evander Holyfield, but I can't let him whup me," Bowe said. "I'm not going to let him beat me just because he's my friend."
The 10th round of their first meeting is considered by many boxing experts to be among the best ever. Bowe dominated the early part of the round, Holyfield came storming back in the middle minute, and the two stood toe-to-toe in the final minute.
"In the first fight, I was very careless," Holyfield said. "I started to run into a lot of shots. He's a bigger man than I am, and yet he threw more punches in the fight than I did. I think that shows you that I was trying to hit a home run while he was fighting.
"This time, I will have to do what I have to do to win, and that means I can't go toe-to-toe with him. I will box him," Holyfield said.
Bowe said he "confused and discombobulated" Holyfield in the first fight, "and you ain't seen nothing yet. This is going to be hell for Evander Holyfield. This is Round 13. He used to have something I wanted. Now I've got it, and he ain't gonna get it back."
Bowe has a professional record of 34-0 with 29 knockouts. He has defended the title twice, knocking out Michael Dokes in the first round last Feb. 6 and dispatching Ferguson in the second.
Holyfield is 29-1 with 22 knockouts, his only loss to Bowe. He fought only once since losing the title, winning a lackluster decision over Alex Stewart in June.
Holyfield will get about $10 million and Bowe slightly more.