Becoming Holyfield : A Fighter's Journey - Evander Holyfield

Becoming Holyfield

A Fighter's Journey

By: Evander Holyfield, Lee Gruenfeld

Paperback | 15 December 2008 | Edition Number 1

At a Glance

Paperback


$44.95

or 4 interest-free payments of $11.24 with

 or 

Aims to ship in 10 to 15 business days

When will this arrive by?
Enter delivery postcode to estimate

History's only four-time world heavyweight boxing champion and one of America's most admired and beloved athletes reveals the dramatic story of his rise from poverty to the very pinnacle of the toughest sport on earth.

Barely able to make it into the heavyweight division and almost always the smaller fighter in the ring, Holyfield spent his professional career proving the naysayers wrong. Along the way he provided some of the twentieth century's most thrilling sports moments, not all of them on purpose. In Becoming Holyfield, he gives us the exciting inside story of defeating Mike Tyson, the self-proclaimed "Baddest Man on Earth," and then getting a piece of his ear bitten off in the rematch. We learn how it felt to become the undisputed champion of the world by knocking out the man who knocked out Tyson, and we find out what it was really like to be in the middle of a title fight and see a motorized parachute fly right into the ring.

There is heartbreak to go along with triumph, beginning with Holyfield's loss of an Olympic gold medal because of a highly controversial disqualification and continuing through his short-lived retirement following a misdiagnosed heart condition. Along the way we're treated to glimpses of such colorful figures as Don King and Howard Cosell and we come to understand the extra-ordinary power of love in shaping a young boy's life, and the love he tried to return. Holyfield made more money in the ring than any other fighter in history, and gave away millions to support the dreams of underprivileged kids looking for the same kinds of breaks that allowed him to become a champion.

Holyfield's immense popularity cannot be overstated, and it cuts across all ethnicities and socioeconomic classes. The top three highest-grossing sporting events in Las Vegas history were all Holyfield fights, and his highly rated appearances on Dancing with the Stars helped to ensure that show's success. Other fighters may have been bigger, stronger, or more flamboyant, but few could match Evander Holyfield's poise, grace under pressure, or commitment to serve as an inspiration to others.

More in Sport Biographies

Iron Hope : Lessons Learned from Conquering the Impossible - James Lawrence
No Spin : The autobiography of Shane Warne - Shane Warne

RRP $49.99

$38.75

22%
OFF
Bloody Minded : My Life in Cycling - Alex Dowsett

RRP $22.99

$21.90

Unbreakable - Jess Halloran

Paperback

RRP $24.99

$19.95

20%
OFF
Showing Up : Get Comfortable Being Uncomfortable - Nedd Brockmann
The Showman - Glenn Maxwell

Paperback

RRP $36.99

$33.25

10%
OFF
Enzo Ferrari : The definitive biography of an icon - Luca Dal Monte
NBA Legends : Discover Basketball's All-Time Greats - Dan Peel
Throwing the Book - Wayne Barnes

RRP $26.99

$25.75

The Boys' Club - Michael Warner

RRP $24.99

$23.75

Open : An Autobiography - Andre Agassi

RRP $26.99

$25.75

The Wolf You Feed - Andrew Webster

RRP $36.99

$34.50

The Mamba Mentality : How I Play - Kobe Bryant

RRP $52.99

$40.95

23%
OFF
No Spin : The autobiography of Shane Warne - Shane Warne
Only Rainbows - Karen C. McCord

Hardcover

$65.25

Only Rainbows - Karen C. McCord

Paperback

$44.16