'Flat broke' Evander Holyfield's road to ruin revealed!
London, Oct. 14 (ANI)
American boxer Evander Holyfield, who is still dreaming of becoming a world heavyweight champion for the sixth time, is reportedly flat broke despite banking 350 million pounds, half of it from his 57 fights, in his 28-year career.
The "Real Deal", one of the greatest fighters of all time, is now bankrupt and is being forced to sell everything except his soul to pay off debts which amount to over 10 million pounds. Virtually his whole life goes under the hammer at a Beverley Hills auction next month in what is believed to be the world's biggest sale of sporting memorabilia.
Holyfield's financial woes started in 1999 when his then wife of two years, Janice, filed for divorce after he had publicly admitted to fathering two children out of wedlock.
"These are difficult days. Dealing with all the mothers of all my kids - there ain't no winning here, man, no winning at all. I've had no money to pay lawyers and had to fight on my own in court and that ain't easy," The Independent quoted Holyfield, as saying.
According to the paper, his gloves, boots and robe from that infamous encounter are up for sale at Julien's, the US equivalent of Sotheby's, on 30 November along with jewellery, furniture and more ring memorabilia, including 27 other pairs of gloves, his Olympic bronze medal, world title belts and what he says is his most prized possession, a 1962 red Chevrolet Corvette speedster, the same vintage as himself.
Even by boxing's depressing standards Holyfield's road to ruin has been spectacular, a fortune lost in the casinos of Las Vegas and Atlantic City, business misadventures, crippling lawsuits and lavish spending on a lifestyle as much that of a champion philanderer as pugilist. He has been divorced three times, has 11 children by five different women and owes half a million dollars in child support, some to his 18-year-old daughter Emani, who last month sued him for 372,000 dollars in unpaid maintenance. If he doesn't pay up, he faces a prison sentence, the paper said.
He was also evicted from his 109-room Atlanta mansion, owing 14 million dollars in mortgage repayments. It was sold at a knockdown price of 7.5 million dollars to keep the banks off his back. He now lives alone in a downtown condominium, the paper added.