The great heart that helped make Evander Holyfield a champion finally let him down.
Holyfield, 31, retired Tuesday after being diagnosed with a heart condition, a challenger he'd beaten for four years.The announcement came four days after he lost his heavyweight title to Michael Moorer on a 12-round decision.
The condition was manifested by severe fatigue and was diagnosed after the fight Friday night in Las Vegas. It is not life threatening, said Holyfield's personal physician, Dr. Ronald Stephens.
"It was not like he was sitting on a time bomb," said cardiologist Dr. Douglas Morris. "His heart was not functioning at its maximum level. We did not look at this that his life was imperiled at any time."
Stephens told a news conference at Crawford Long Hospital that Holyfield's condition is under control and he could lead a normal life if he follows a less strenuous lifestyle, meaning no more boxing.
"When Dr. Stephens told me, it was an easy decision," said Holyfield, who walked to the podium with the aid of a nurse. "I'm going to miss boxing a lot, but I believe God put boxing in my life for a reason. I had a lot of love for it and it made a better life for me and my family."
Stephens said the condition, diagnosed as a non-compliant left ventricle or "stiff heart," prevented sufficient oxygen from being pumped to muscles and tissues.
The left ventricle is one of four chambers of the heart and one of two ventricles. It is responsible for pumping blood out of the heart to the body. The right ventricle pumps blood to the lungs.
Stephens said that after the fight Holyfield, who lost for only the second time in 32 fights, immediately was taken to a Las Vegas hospital to treat a kidney condition caused by dehydration and strenuous exercise. He was given massive amounts of fluid, but his heart was not able to handle the fluid buildup.
"That's when we realized he had a cardiac condition," said Stephens, chief of general surgery at Crawford Long Hospital.
Holyfield returned to Atlanta on Sunday night and was admitted to the hospital. He will undergo one more cardiac test today before being released.
Stephens said the cause of Holyfield's condition is unknown so far, but it was not caused by fighting.
He said Holyfield's doctors had noticed excessive fatigue in the fighter.
Holyfield said he first realized he was starting to get fatigued during training for the Oct. 25, 1990, fight with Buster Douglas. Before that, he said, he was able to train for hours and then go out "dancing all night."
"But for the Douglas fight, I started to get sick and would complain to my handlers. They called me a crybaby," Holyfield said. "I then knocked out Douglas and everybody was happy."
His next fight was against George Foreman on April 19, 1991.
"I was training for Foreman and they started complaining again. Again they called me a crybaby. I won and everybody was happy again," said Holyfield.
It was the same in winning title defenses in November 1991 against Bert Cooper and in June 1992 against Larry Holmes.
When he lost his title to Riddick Bowe on Nov. 13, 1992, his first professional loss, it was because "I was hard-headed and didn't listen."
He then beat Alex Stewart in June 1993 and defeated Bowe in a rematch to regain his title on Nov. 6, 1993.
"That second fight with Bowe I had a little more rest and won," said Holyfield. "Then I came into this last fight with Michael Moorer. It just so happened my body couldn't do it. I did the best I could."
"I had noticed since the Foreman fight that he was a little slower and doing a little less punching," said his manager, Shelly Finkel. "Each fight after that seemed even slower (with) even less punches. Now there's a reasonable explanation for it."
As he slowly trudged to the elevator and to his hospital room, Holyfield was asked if it was a sad day.
"No. It's a bright day," he said. "I'm breathing and I've got my health."
In Washington, Holyfield's trainer, Lou Duva, told a House subcommittee considering federal regulations for boxing that Holyfield's cornermen should have stopped the fight.
Boxing promoter Don King called Holyfield a "great performer."
"No one likes to retire," King said, "but Holyfield has had a full life in the ring, he's done a great job, and his time has come."