Boxing legend Evander Holyfield ‘to make return to the ring in June with eight-round exhibition against Kevin McBride’… with Mike Tyson also hoping to face old rival this year
- Legend Evander Holyfield’s last fight in the boxing ring came in May 2011
- He has stepped up preparations after seeing Mike Tyson return last year
- Now Sports Illustrated claim Holyfield will fight Kevin McBride on 5 June
- The duo will appear on the undercard of Teofimo Lopez v George Kambosos
Evander Holyfield is set to make a sensational return to boxing in June against Kevin McBride, according to reports in America.
The ‘Real Deal’ last fought in May 2011 but was inspired by fellow legend Mike Tyson to get back in the gym this year and has been stepping up his preparations for a return to the ring ever since.
Now, Sports Illustrated claim his return will come on 5 June in an eight-round exhibition against former Irish star McBride, whose last fight was only a couple of months after Holyfield’s in a defeat by Mariusz Wach.
Evander Holyfield (left) is reportedly set to make a sensational return to boxing in June against Kevin McBride (right)
The pair will clash on the undercard of Teofimo Lopez’s lightweight title defence
The report adds the duo will appear on the undercard of Teofimo Lopez’s lightweight title defence against George Kambosos, with the event set to be streamed live on American service Triller.
The fight will reportedly consist of eight, two-minute rounds with no headgear worn by either fighter.
The 58-year-old will want to emerge victorious however, after Tyson revealed his grand plan to fight him and Lennox Lewis in this calendar year.
Holyfield (44-10-2) is the only man to beat Tyson twice, winning by knock-out in the 11th round in 1996 before their infamous 1997 bout, where Tyson was disqualified for biting his rival’s ear.
Mike Tyson (left) also revealed plans to fight Holyfield (right) and Lennox Lewis (centre) this year
‘I want Holyfield and I want Lennox Lewis this year,’ Tyson revealed on his Hotboxin’ Podcast.
‘I want both of them, I want to get them both this year. I also want to box an exhibition with Tyson Fury.
‘If I do that – even if I can get those two guys [Lewis and Holyfield], I’ll say, ‘This is a wrap, I’m just gonna live life.’
‘And that’s just exhibitions. I’m gonna break all my professional true records with exhibitions.’
The ‘Real Deal’ last fought in May 2011 and beat Dane Brian Nielsen in Copenhagen
McBride, 47, meanwhile is best known for beating Tyson in 2005 via a knockout, a loss that marked ‘Iron Mike’s’ last professional fight.
However, the legendary American heavyweight made his comeback in an exhibition draw against Roy Jones Jr last November in a bout that generated £58million in pay-per-view buys.
Tyson said last month he expects his trilogy fight against Holyfield to take place on 29 May, having dismissed claims from the latter’s camp he had rejected an £18million deal for the fight to take place.
Holyfield (44-10-2) is the only man to beat Tyson twice, including their infamous 1997 bout