Holyfield: You gotta believe

Dean Juipe

Thursday, June 26, 1997 | 11:48 a.m.

SOME people all but see the halo and feel a saintly man walks among us.

Others, only slightly less convinced, look at Evander Holyfield with a mixture of wonder and awe.

Almost everyone agrees he's a main of great principle, albeit one in a vicious sport that rewards brutality in its own curious way. The Pious Puncher?

Holyfield, one part boxing champion and one part philosopher, fits this inexplicable bill. He's in a niche of his own.

"Prayer is only good if you work hard," Holyfield will say, as if it's his credo. But he lives by those words and he has trained for Saturday's rematch with Mike Tyson at the MGM Grand Garden adhering to those words.

He looks great. He's more muscular than ever and appears extremely fit.

He's also pounding the Bible.

"The Lord is good and He's good all the time," Holyfield said at Wednesday's final prefight press conference. "I'm here to be a witness for how good the Lord can be. I am where I am because of my beliefs and the fact I do work hard."

He doesn't come off as superior or conceited, and that's part of his appeal. Yet he's the Good in this Good vs. Bad equation that loosely defines the rematch.

"I don't know what Mike's going to do but I've got to do what I do best," Holyfield said. "I'm a boxer and a winner. I won't be intimidated in the ring. And I thank God for peace of mind in times of pressure."

The pressure will be immense by fight time.

"I'm praying to be able to fall back on my training when things get tough in there," Holyfield said. "It's a fight, so I know I'm going to get hit. When that happens, I want to be able to recall how to handle myself in that time of crisis."

He won their first fight Nov. 9 in part because of his ability to think on his feet. No matter how hard Tyson hit him, Holyfield kept his composure.

Did God play a role in that fight's outcome?

"Well, He wasn't there saying 'throw the left' or anything like that," Holyfield said. "But he gave me some knowledge that helped during the fight. He rewarded me for my prayers and for having worked so hard."

Yet prior to the November fight, Holyfield supposedly was finished as a major-league fighter. He was coming off an unimpressive outing against former cruiserweight champ Bobby Czyz and he was knocked out by Riddick Bowe in the fight before that.

"He was deteriorating right before our eyes," promoter Don King recalled.

Then he took everything Tyson had and gave back even more. Now he's the World Boxing Association champion and seen as a blessed, heavenly man.

"I know my fans were surprised by my performance," Holyfield said. "Actually, everyone says they were stunned.

"But I've always been a skilled fighter. The Holy Spirit just helped me when I needed it."

While he has had many successes in life and especially in the ring, Holyfield is consciously guarding against complacency. For instance, he recognizes that this fight is bound to be tougher than the last one.

"It's not like I'm still gloating about what I did November 9," he said. "This is a new day. I have to bring more to the table.

"I have the ultimate respect for Mike and I know his team has found a way to beat the man he fought November 9. I truly believe Mike will bring something different, so I have to bring something different too."

This may be needless to say, but he expects to win and continue fighting well beyond this week. As it is, he's 34 years old with a fair amount of ring mileage, having turned pro in 1984 and built a reputation as a tactful brawler who never shied away from facing the best.

He won world championships at 172 and 190 pounds before moving up to the heavyweight division in 1988. He became the undisputed heavyweight champion when he defeated Buster Douglas in 1990, although his 28-fight winning streak was snapped by Riddick Bowe a year later. Between that loss and his win last year over Tyson, Holyfield fought six times and lost twice, to Bowe in a rematch and to Michael Moorer.

He comes into this fight with a 33-3 record that includes 24 knockouts, although he remains a slight betting underdog against the 45-2 Tyson.

"I'll have a great victory," he predicted, "and I'll be sitting here saying the same things next time."

Those around him certainly share his view.

"I've never seen a human being in this good of condition," said his trainer, Don Turner. "He's truly amazing."

Jim Thomas, Holyfield's lawyer, echoed those sentiments when he said "Evander is significantly better and more powerful than he ever was. He's superior (to Tyson) in physical qualities, inner strength, boxing skills, reach and adaptability. This may not mean much coming from an attorney, but I can't see how he can lose."

It could be that Holyfield figuratively can't lose, regardless of the outcome of the fight. His reputation as a good man -- he's married to Dr. Janice Itson and has five children -- and solid citizen has passed the point of reproach.

"There's a difference between winners and losers," Holyfield said. "Losers will quit. I won't quit. I'll always be going forward.

"The power of prayer will keep me going forward."