WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS: Four-time world heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield’s fight with Sherman “Tank” Williams ended in a three-round no-contest on Saturday. Holyfield, who at 48 says he is on a quest for one more legitimate, even undisputed, world crown, was cut over his left eye in the second round after an accidental head butt. Williams staggered his opponent (43-10-2, 28 KOs) with a series of blows in the third round, but after the bell Holyfield told the referee he could not see and the bout was declared a no-contest. “(Williams) fought the way he should have,” Holyfield said. “I understood what he was doing. He was trying to get his head low to stand me up and open me up.”Holyfield said Williams received several warnings about leading with his head in the fight at The Greenbriar resort. “He was warned several times in that short amount of time. He didn’t have to (use his head).” Holyfield landed the first big blow of the bout, a left to Williams’ head in the first round. Williams responded with a flurry of punches late in the round and he brought the fans to their feet in the third when he rocked Holyfield. For Holyfield, the fight against 38-year-old Bahamas big man Williams (34-11-2, 19 KOs) was meant to be a tune-up for a March bout in Copenhagen against Denmark’s Brian Nielsen. Afterwards, however, Holyfield said he did not know about his next fight and spoke of a rematch with Williams. “There’s a good chance (the fight in Denmark does not happen),” Holyfield said.
Williams, who hadn’t fought since a late 2009 unanimous-decision defeat to Manuel Charr, said he would be open to taking on Nielsen. Holyfield lost the undisputed heavyweight crown to Britain’s now-retired Lennox Lewis in 1999. Holyfield briefly held the World Boxing Association crown in 2000 before a loss to John Ruiz – also retired – then lost world title fights to Chris Byrd in 2002, Russia’s Sultan Ibragimov in 2007 and Nikolay Valuev, also from Russia, in 2008. While the cut over his eye will take time to heal, Holyfield said he still hopes to unify the heavyweight championships. “I’ll just have to make an adjustment,” he said. “I’ve had 11 setbacks (counting Saturday’s no-contest) but I don’t quit. I’ll shake it off and I’ll be back – Dailytimes
