Mitt Romney, the 2012 Republican presidential nominee, will face his toughest fight yet on Friday, when he enters the ring with Evander Holyfield, a former heavyweight champion of the world.
The bout, which will take place in Salt Lake City, will see Romney, 68, fight Holyfield, 52, in what could be a bit of a mismatch.
The fight is being held to raise money for Charity Vision, which treats eye problems in Peru. A video promoting the encounter shows Romney reading his 2010 book, No Apology: the Case for American Greatness, in preparation. Holyfield, meanwhile, is seen dripping with sweat in a gymnasium, performing bent over rows and back extensions.
“Does he even work out?” Holyfield asks. “I’m too quick, too agile for him.”
Holyfield is perhaps most famous for his two matches against Mike Tyson, the second of which ended with Tyson biting off part of Holyfield’s ear. Yet Romney, who is untested at this level, appears confident.
“Well, it’s true, I don’t have much of a right hook,” the Harvard graduate confesses. “But when I get somebody’s ear, I can be pretty formidable.”
Here’s the match-up.
Vital stats
Holyfield stands at 6ft 1in, with a reach of 78in. He started as a light heavyweight before moving up two divisions in 1988. He weighed in at 215lbs for his first bout against Tyson, in 1996. He announced his retirement in 2012.
Statistics for Romney are harder to come by, but the man who introduced a Massachusetts healthcare reform law in 2006 has a height advantage at 6ft 2in, which could translate to a longer reach. A gushing physical conducted in 2012, when Romney was running for the White House against Barack Obama, painted a picture of a man in robust health. Romney tipped the scales at 185lbs, with a resting heart rate of 40 beats per minute. The chief executive of the 2002 Olympic and Paralympic games also has a slightly enlarged prostate.
Achievements
Holyfield won a bronze medal at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. He is a former undisputed champion at both cruiserweight and heavyweight, with a record of 44 wins – 29 by knockout – 10 losses, two draws and one no contest. In 2014, he took part in the UK’s Celebrity Big Brother. He was the first housemate to be evicted.
Romney has achieved little in the ring, but is credited with transforming the fate of venture capital firm Bain Capital before running for political office. Having attempted in 1994 to unseat Massachusetts Democrat Ted Kennedy in a race for the US Senate, only to be defeated by 17 percentage points, Romney became governor of the state in 2003. He ran for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008, dropping out before John McCain was declared the victor. Against a weak crowd he was anointed Republican candidate in 2012, but was defeated by Obama.
Popular appeal
Holyfield carried the Olympic torch in the 1996 Atlanta Games, and won public sympathy after Tyson bit off the top of his ear (it was stitched back on) in 1997. He has appeared on beloved sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel Air and endorsed Coca-Cola and Diet Coke. He is a born-again Christian.
Romney was criticised during his governorship for appearing to lay the ground for a presidential run. He was accused of alienating voters during his 2012 presidential bid when he said his job was “not to worry” about 47% of the electorate, who he said would vote for Obama “no matter what” and believed “that they are entitled to healthcare, to food, to housing”. Romney was portrayed as out of touch due to his vast wealth. He is a Mormon who has served as a bishop in his local church.
Sporting legacy
Holyfield is ranked No 11 by boxing.com in its list of the greatest heavyweights of all time. He is noted for his “excellent jab”, “superb fluid combination punching” and “iron will”. However, Holyfield was not noted as a power puncher, which should give Romney some encouragement.
Romney is a celebrated athlete within the field of the “Romney Olympics”. The sport, invented by Romney, saw him compete against his five young sons across a variety of disciplines. Challenges included push-ups, a bike race, hitting chairs with a football and hanging from a bar. Another event involves hammering 10 nails into a wooden pole.
Nicknames
Holyfield: the Real Deal.
Romney: the Stormin’ Mormon.
Prediction
Holyfield has the experience and a superior track record, while Romney is giving away a 30lb weight advantage. But if Romney can get his jab going his (possibly) superior reach could keep the former heavyweight champion at bay, allowing the 68-year-old to seek a knockout punch. Holyfield may try to intimidate Romney with some fierce early combinations, while Romney’s jaw is unproven.
In conclusion: Holyfield to win. By some distance.
