He’s the heavyweight champ and he’s got an incredible physique. And he had to prove himself against Mike Tyson. Tyson was on the wrong end of a bad night when he lost to James “Buster” Douglas, a journeyman puncher who had the fight of his life and made his fortune with eight good rounds one winter night in 1990, in Tokyo, Japan. But the money was so good that Douglas got fat and when he met challenger Holyfield, he weighed 246 pounds, 15 more than he had for Tyson. “The Real Deal,” as Holyfield is sometimes called, knocked Douglas down and out in round three, and Holyfield’s reign as heavyweight champion began. But it seemed as much through circumstance and good timing as through great pugilistic skill.

Certainly Holyfield’s lineage is good. He would have won the 1984 Olympic light-heavyweight gold medal had the referee not judged Holyfield to have thrown a slightly late hit, one that knocked out his opponent. He made his way through the professional ranks, rising steadily as a serious contender, but “Captain Vander” has always seemed to be a little on the light side to make a true heavyweight. In 1994, he announced his retirement from boxing after experiencing chest pains and a hole was found in his heart. However, in 1995 he was given a clean medical bill of health and returned to the ring.

Certainly his quickness afoot did not hurt him against lumbering overeaters like Douglas, and later George Foreman, though Foreman did last the whole 12 rounds with Holyfield, again casting doubt on whether he could stand up to a true and fit heavyweight, especially one named Tyson.

Finally, doubts were put aside on November 9, 1997 as Evander Holyfield defeated Mike Tyson in an eleventh round TKO, winning the WBA Heavyweight Title, and becoming the second man since Ali to win the Heavyweight title for a third time.

Of course, many other types of questions were raised during the infamous 1997 bout between Holyfield and Tyson in Las Vegas, as Tyson was disqualified in that fight for biting off part of Holyfield’s ear.