Columnist Dean Juipe: Father Time has his eye on Holyfield

Dean Juipe

Friday, Aug. 11, 2000 | 10:02 a.m.

Dean Juipe's column appears Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. His boxing notebook appears Thursday. Reach him at juipe@lasvegassun.com or 259-4084.

Despite beating Bobby Czyz in May 1996, Evander Holyfield appeared to be shot as a fighter.

He wasn't impressive against the smaller Czyz, he had been knocked out by Riddick Bowe in his previous fight, and a year earlier he briefly retired after medical evidence surfaced and suggested an abnormal heart condition.

But had Holyfield walked away four years ago, he never would have defeated Mike Tyson twice, avenged an earlier loss to Michael Moorer, and given Lennox Lewis all he could handle in two tough-to-score fights in 1999.

Today Holyfield is on the verge of a historical achievement, even if it is watered down by the proliferation of boxing titles and championships. But should he defeat John Ruiz when they fight Saturday at Paris Las Vegas for the vacant World Boxing Association title, Holyfield will become the sport's first four-time heavyweight world champion.

The oddity, of course, is that he started his career as a 177-pound light heavyweight.

As fans and bettors look at his fight with Ruiz, two conflicting thoughts duel for attention. On one hand, Ruiz is no match in comparison to Holyfield when it comes to top-flight experience and he may not be able to match him when it comes to determination either.

On the other hand, Holyfield supposedly was washed up four years ago.

There's a belief -- if not a fear -- that Holyfield could suddenly walk into a boxing ring and look his age (37) and show his mileage (19 title fights and a collective 295 rounds since turning pro in 1984). This slow-cooking goose could finally be done.

But is Ruiz the man to expose it?

Probably not.

Expect this fight to go its full 12 rounds and for both men to give and take and have their moments of glory. But unless Holyfield is tapped out -- and he went 24 rounds with Lewis last year, so it's possible -- look for him to be just creative and wily enough to get the judges' decision.

A win will have Holyfield exclaiming he wants to regain the undisputed championship he held in the early 1990s, although, logically, he's too long in the tooth to see that ambition through.

But it will bolster his stock as one of the great fighters of this or any other age and the $5 million he'll receive for meeting Ruiz will boost his career earnings to a substantial $225 million.

Of course he needs the money, what with nine children delivered by six women.

For all of his outward piousness and good acts -- he was honored by the D.A.R.E. people this week for his messages to children pertaining to drug use -- Holyfield has been a rounder with a weakness for women. If that's a flaw, it hasn't affected his boxing ability and he has bounced back from adversity more often than any intern-ravishing president.

But someday he's going to have to answer to Father Time.

If it comes suddenly and it's this week, Ruiz is in a fortuitous position and has enough going for him to capitalize. And the possibility of that happening is real enough that this is not a fight worth betting the farm on.

That cautionary note aside, Holyfield is apt to win and his career, once seemingly doomed, carries on.