LAS VEGAS -- Believe.
That was all Evander Holyfield asked of the naysayers, some of whom even feared for his life when he entered the ring against Mike Tyson.
Believe that, with God's help, this strong-willed man from Georgia still had the spirit and strength to carry him to the heavyweight title a third time -- a feat accomplished only by Muhammad Ali.
And Saturday night in this city of sinful excesses, Holyfield made a world of converts. In a classic heavyweight fight that equaled the best of Ali-Frazier in fury and passion, he scored a shocking, 11th-round knockout of Tyson, who was left swaying helplessly on the ropes before referee Mitch Halpern saved him from further punishment.
"A lot of people told me not to talk about Jesus," said Holyfield outside the MGM Grand, while in a media tent suited for a revival meeting. "But I used all the doubts to fuel me, and God pushed me ahead.
"I prayed during training. I prayed when I got in the ring with Mike, and I still prayed when I was fighting because I knew what a great fighter I was facing.
"But praying without hard work doesn't work. Working hard is the key to success, and the prize has to be more than the pain."
Ring historians were quick to compare Holyfield's win for the World Boxing Association title with Tyson's upset by 40-1 underdog Buster Douglas in Tokyo six years ago.
But then Tyson was going through a messy divorce from actress Robin Givens and was under-trained and under-motivated. This time, there appeared to be no excuse. In fact, Tyson had seemed hellbent on destroying Holyfield, saying he had demeaned him by saying he would never fight a convicted rapist.
When this match was first proposed -- before Tyson spent three years in an Indiana prison -- it was considered a competitive bout, with Tyson no more than a 2-1 pick.
But Holyfield, now 34, lost his title to Michael Moorer in 1994, when he was diagnosed with heart problems, and then Holyfield showed signs of fatigue in being stopped by Riddick Bowe in their third encounter a year ago.
The Nevada Athletic Commission forced Holyfield to submit to a series of cardiac tests by the Mayo Clinic before renewing his license.
"That's why I got this title fight," Holyfield said. "They thought I was no longer a real threat."
But Team Tyson had a lot of company. The opening line a month ago made Holyfield a 25-1 underdog, and, of 50 boxing writers polled, only one picked him to win.
