Holyfield can't win 5th HW Belt
Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2007 1:54 pm
http://www.espn.com
MOSCOW -- Evander Holyfield's quest for a fifth heavyweight title ran into a roadblock Saturday: Sultan Ibragimov.
Ibragimov kept his WBO title with a unanimous decision over Holyfield, who turns 45 next week.
Fighting before a home crowd, Ibragimov improved his record to 22 wins and one draw with a slick, counter-punching display at the Khodynka Arena. Holyfield dropped to 42-9 with two draws.
The judges scored the 12-round fight 118-110, 117-111 and 117-111.
Ibragimov, a 32-year-old Russian, will now try and unify the fractured division. The other titles are held by Wladimir Klitschko (IBF), Ruslan Chagaev (WBA) and recently declared champion Samuel Peter (WBC).
Holyfield was trying to become the second-oldest heavyweight champion. At 45 and 300 days, George Foreman knocked out Michael Moorer to win the WBA and IBF titles in 1994.
This was Holyfield's 23rd title bout in a 20-year heavyweight career in which he has beaten Mike Tyson (twice), Foreman, Larry Holmes, Riddick Bowe and Michael Dokes. But he hasn't held any of the various belts since outpointing John Ruiz in 2000 at Las Vegas to be WBA champ.
MOSCOW -- Evander Holyfield's quest for a fifth heavyweight title ran into a roadblock Saturday: Sultan Ibragimov.
Ibragimov kept his WBO title with a unanimous decision over Holyfield, who turns 45 next week.
Fighting before a home crowd, Ibragimov improved his record to 22 wins and one draw with a slick, counter-punching display at the Khodynka Arena. Holyfield dropped to 42-9 with two draws.
The judges scored the 12-round fight 118-110, 117-111 and 117-111.
Ibragimov, a 32-year-old Russian, will now try and unify the fractured division. The other titles are held by Wladimir Klitschko (IBF), Ruslan Chagaev (WBA) and recently declared champion Samuel Peter (WBC).
Holyfield was trying to become the second-oldest heavyweight champion. At 45 and 300 days, George Foreman knocked out Michael Moorer to win the WBA and IBF titles in 1994.
This was Holyfield's 23rd title bout in a 20-year heavyweight career in which he has beaten Mike Tyson (twice), Foreman, Larry Holmes, Riddick Bowe and Michael Dokes. But he hasn't held any of the various belts since outpointing John Ruiz in 2000 at Las Vegas to be WBA champ.