Botha down on the canvas.
Former four-time world heavyweight champion Evander ?The Real Deal? Holyfield tamed World Boxing Federation champion Francois ?The White Buffalo? Botha and stopped him in the eighth round of a interesting battle before a mere 2,000 fans at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas.
The crowd was a reflection of how the heavyweight division has lost its glamour and what boxing fans feel about ageing warriors continuing to fight which was best illustrated in the boring clash between Bernard Hopkins and Roy Jones Jr which did more to hurt the sport than lift it up.
Botha started strong and connected with some solid shots but Holyfield who was looking to counter began to turn things around in the fifth round and started nailing the big South African with telling combinations in the sixth and hurt him in the seventh round.
In the eighth round Holyfield dropped Botha with a huge right hand and although the WBF champion Botha beat the count, the 47 year old Holyfield went after Botha and hammered him almost at will before referee Russel Mora jumped in and called a halt at :55 seconds of the round.
In a post-fight interview Holyfield (43-10-2, 28 KO) said Botha (47-5-3, 28 KO?s) was a very good defensive fighter and ?a smart fighter too. His right hand had a lot of power and he?s also a very quick big man.?
Emphasizing that he knows he can get better, Holyfield who gave himself a 7 on a scale of 10 for his performance said he wants to come back soon while Botha praised Holyfield for being ?a great fighter? and indicated h e would go home and discuss his future with his team.
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