Evander Holyfield Net Worth (Money & Salary)

Unfortunately, by 2008, all of that wealth was seemingly depleted, culminating in the foreclosure of his 109-room mansion in Atlanta. This grand estate, which spans 54,000 square feet across 234 acres, costs over $1 million annually to maintain. After being foreclosed, it sold at public auction for $7.5 million, but Evander owed the bank more than double that for the mortgage. Ultimately, Rick Ross purchased the property in 2014 for $5.4 million.

In mid-2012, the Georgia Department of Human Services alleged that Evander owed $372,097.40 in child support for his 18-year-old daughter, Emani Holyfield, requesting a judge’s order to imprison Holyfield until the debt was resolved.

This wasn’t the first instance of Holyfield facing accusations of unpaid child support; he was also charged with neglecting to pay two months’ worth (totaling $6,000) for his ten-year-old son. Around the same time, a landscaping company in Utah sought a court order for $550,000, claiming non-payment for services provided.

By January 2013, he faced several hundred thousand dollars in overdue taxes owed to the IRS.

Over the years, many of Holyfield’s valuable possessions were auctioned off to address various debts and obligations, including his Olympic bronze medal, 20 pairs of fight gloves, multiple championship rings, belts, and 25 match robes and shorts.

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Background and Early Life

On October 19, 1962, Evander Holyfield was born in Atmore, Alabama, as the youngest of nine siblings. The family later relocated to Atlanta, Georgia, where he grew up amidst the crime-plagued Bowen Homes Housing Projects. He began boxing at the tender age of seven, winning the Boys Club Boxing Tournament shortly afterward. Holyfield gained recognition in the ring as he fought in the Heavyweight, Cruiserweight, and Light-Heavyweight Divisions. By age 13, he qualified to participate in his first junior Olympics, and by 15, he was already the Southeastern Regional Champion, winning both the regional tournament and the Best Boxer award. Holyfield represented the United States in the 1983 Pan

in Caracas, Venezuela, during the American Games, he won a silver medal and qualified for his inaugural Olympic appearance.

Professional Career

Evander Holyfield entered the professional boxing arena at 21, following his bronze medal win in the Light Heavyweight division at the 1984 Summer Olympics, earning him the nickname “The Real Deal.” He transitioned to the cruiserweight division in 1985 and claimed his first title the next year by defeating Dwight Muhammad Qawi for the WBA Cruiserweight belt. Subsequently, he triumphed over Ricky Parkey and Carlos De Leon to secure the Lineal, IBF, and WBC titles, ultimately becoming the Undisputed Cruiserweight Champion. In 1988, Holyfield marked his heavyweight debut by defeating Buster Douglas, claiming The Ring, Lineal, WBC, WBA, and IBF titles by 1990. His first professional defeat did not occur until 1992, when he was bested by Riddick Bowe. However, he reclaimed the title in a rematch a year later, vanquishing Bowe for the WBA and IBF titles, though he faced an upset loss to Michael Moorer in 1994, resulting in him losing those titles.

Among Holyfield’s notable victories are wins against George Foreman, Larry Holmes, Riddick Bowe, Ray Mercer, Mike Tyson (twice), Michael Moorer, John Ruiz, Michael Dokes, and Hasim Rahman. Furthermore, he holds the distinction of being the only four-time World Heavyweight Champion. He won the WBA, WBC, and IBF titles in 1990, followed by the WBA and IBF titles in 1993, and then the WBA titles in both 1996 and 2000. After being advised to take a break for medical reasons in 1994, he made a remarkable comeback a year later, returning healthy and strong.

In a match that has entered the realm of infamy, Holyfield faced Mike Tyson in 1997, where Tyson was disqualified for biting part of Holyfield’s ear during the bout. Holyfield later lost the WBA, WBC, and IBF titles to Lennox Lewis in 1999. His attempt to secure The World Heavyweight Championship for the fifth time on December 20, 2008, ended in controversy as he lost a majority decision to WBA Heavyweight Champion Nicolay Valuev in Sweden at the age of 45. In 2014, Holyfield announced his retirement, concluding his career with a ranking of #77 on The Ring’s list of the 100 greatest punchers in history. His professional record comprised 44 wins (29 by knockout), 10 losses, and 2 draws. In 2017, Holyfield was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame and was rated #9 in BoxRec’s ranking of the greatest pound-for-pound boxers ever. Following retirement, Holyfield took on the role of boxing advisor and mentor to heavyweight prospect Zhang Zhilei.

(Photo by Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images)

Other Ventures

Real Deal Records, founded by Holyfield, signed the once-popular group Exhale, among other artists. By 1992, he had become a household name, appearing in numerous commercials for Coca-Cola and Diet Coke. He was also featured in the Sega Genesis video game “Evander Holyfield’s Real Deal Boxing.” Among various celebrities, he participated in promotional advertisements for the restaurant chain Zaxby’s. In 1996, he had the honor of carrying the Olympic torch en route to Atlanta, his hometown and the host city for that year’s Olympic Games. In 2007, Holyfield expanded his ventures by introducing a line of cooking products,

Via infomercials, you can find Real Deal Grill.

Over the years, Holyfield has made a significant number of television appearances. His debut was a cameo on the Christmas special of “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” in 1990. During the 1990s, he also appeared in three films: “Summer of Sam,” “Necessary Roughness,” and “Blood Salvage,” the latter of which he produced. In 1994, he made a guest appearance on “Nickelodeon GUTS.” He participated in “Dancing with the Stars” in 2005, where he and partner Edyta Sliwinska secured fifth place. In January 2014, Holyfield was the first housemate to be evicted from the UK edition of “Celebrity Big Brother” due to making derogatory comments about a homosexual housemate. In May 2016, he appeared on the Argentine reality dance show “Bailando.”

Personal Life

From 1985 to 1991, Holyfield was married to Paulette Brown. He remarried Dr. Janice Itson in October 1996, with whom he had one child before their divorce in 2000. Between 2003 and 2012, he was married to Candi Calvana Smith. Altogether, Holyfield has 11 children.

In February 2007, Holyfield was anonymously connected to Applied Pharmacy Services, which was being investigated in Alabama for supplying illegal steroids to athletes; however, he has maintained that he has never used performance-enhancing drugs.