Calling an athlete “the greatest of all time” (GOAT) should be analyzed by their performance during the peak of their career and the record they achieved, leaving aside the activities carried out after their retirement. However, Jeff Mayweather has seen how Evander Holyfield’s legacy is often overshadowed, especially when considering that he is a four-time heavyweight champion, surpassing the three reigns of Muhammad Ali.
Naturally, when a legend like Holyfield challenges the narrative, Ali’s great career provokes strong reactions. After all, Ali remains the face of boxing for many. What makes it even more difficult is that some argue that Holyfield does not even surpass Mike Tyson in legacy, despite beating him.
In the midst of this debate, Floyd Mayweather’s uncle, Jeff Mayweather, offered a more measured perspective when asked about Holyfield’s claim, acknowledging his achievements but also pointing out why public perception has not caught up.
Is Evander Holyfield greater than Muhammad Ali?
The Mayweather Channel recently aired an episode featuring the thoughtful yet firm disagreement of Jeff Mayweather who acknowledged Evander Holyfield’s achievements, but also argued that greatness in boxing is not defined solely by titles. “It’s much more than just winning the title with Muhammad Ali, … he was bigger than boxing”. While Evander Holyfield’s argument was based solely on boxing merit, the reporter pointed out a critical flaw: being a four-time champion also means losing the title three times.
But then the discussion turned to longevity and dominance. “If you were champion once and held the belt for 20 years, aren’t you the best because someone else won it four times?” the reporter asked, challenging the logic. Jeff Mayweather agreed. “But I don’t know, it just doesn’t seem like Holyfield,” he added, hinting that Holyfield’s legacy doesn’t reach the elite of the all-time greats in the public perception. The reporter then pointed out that some fans don’t even rank him among the top five boxers, prompting Mayweather to reflect further. “The only thing I know about Holyfield as a heavyweight is that he beat Mike Tyson,” he said bluntly.
For critics, one win does not put a boxer at the top
However, Jeff argued that the victory over Mike Tyson does not elevate Evander Holyfield above Iron Mike in the eyes of most fans. When asked if Holyfield was a superior heavyweight to Tyson, Jeff replied: “Well, he’ll never be considered superior to Mike Tyson.” The reason? “Because people will say that by the time he fought Mike Tyson, he wasn’t the Mike Tyson that everyone knows. So he won’t get any credit for that.” It’s a sentiment shared by many who believe that Tyson’s decline (at 30) had already begun when The Real Deal fought him at 43.
Insisting further on the subject, the reporter asked who would win if both boxers had faced each other at their best. Jeff replied: “I don’t know. Mike Tyson was a real beast. I mean, he was really fast. But Holyfield beat him quite easily. But I don’t know. I just think Mike Tyson, his background, the way he grew up made him bigger than anyone else.” So, while Evander Holyfield may believe he surpasses Muhammad Ali in greatness, Jeff Mayweather is not convinced that he even surpasses Tyson.
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