Holyfield vs. Akinwande 1998

Hard question. I always liked Akinwande: tall guy, very skillful, great jab, great handspeed. He is the type of guy who could give anyone big problems. I could see him upset Holyfield. Maybe...

 

I had a pretty fair amount of $$$ on Henry for the upset. This is the exact type of opponent that Evander seemed to bring his B game into the ring. And realistically, just how many other guys would have bothered to get razor sharp for Henry Akinwande at the time?

But I think he was a difficult guy for Evander to get to and land his combos. Holyfield loses a bunch of rounds with a paltry punch output. And I don't see a Weaver--Tate type ko for Evander to salvage the fight and he drops a decision to a guy he'd lick in the rematch. But it looks like a 1-2 and hold for Henry. And Evander landing his head more than punches.

Ugly fight though and remember another potential ugly Evander title bout cancelled---Damiani. That one would have been horrible to watch as well.

 

Roids or no roids?

 

Akinwande/Holyfield was not on the table. Henry was massively damaged from the Lewis fight. There was no way he was going to be fighting anyone that mattered at that time.

 

I think that the fight was actually scheduled and that Henry pulled out due to having Hepatits.... I thought that Henry would show up and do his grab and 1-2 and win the fight about 7-5

 

I quite liked Akinwande. Could never see him beating Holyfield,though.

The Real Deal by 7-5 in rounds thereabouts.

 

I stand corrected, if memory serves me right Mercer was also scheduled on the bill and he too failed a Hep test.

 

Coming into the fight, I thought it had upset written all over it.

With Holyfield at heavyweight though, it was always difficult to predict. He rarely had an easy night against any top 10 guys other than Douglas.

 

Holyfield would have won.
It's also quite likely he would have won by DQ against a hugging Akinwande.

 

The fight was scheduled for June 6, 1998 and was cancelled that day when Akinwande tested positive for hepatitis B. Ray Mercer was to fight Jerry Ballard on the undercard, but he too tested positive for hepatitis B, as mentioned by TBooze.

Here's a newspaper article, with a pic of the June 5 weigh-in, detailing the developments - https://news.google.com/newspapers?...AIBAJ&sjid=ABUEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6859,6640986&hl=en

 

I remember thinking at the time that this was one fight Holy could well do without. I've picked Henry on pts which was my pick at the time. Too tall, too awkward and Holyfield was due a dip if his previous form at heavy was any indication.

Henry would have brought his A game, free of the fear Lewis inspired and would have jabbed and grabbed. Evander would never have reached Henry's chin, with his hands or his head, and would have struggled to do decent body work at the distance Henry could create or on the inside with those long arms grabbing and making life awkward.

It would have been a candidate for worst fight of the year. Thank fook for hepatitis.

 

I really wish this fight had come off. It was the moment that started the ball rolling for WBA stripping Lennox Lewis after he unified all the titles.

Akinwande remained in the WBA's mandatory spot. After Holyfield and Lewis unified, the WBA said Lewis had to fight Akinwande. Lewis didn't want to fight him twice (their first fight was a DQ win). Lewis also said he didn't think Akinwande could pass his Hep. test. So Lewis signed to fight Grant. Then the WBA dropped Akinwande, moved up John Ruiz, and said Lewis had to cancel the Grant fight and take on their mando Ruiz.

Lewis went to court to block the WBA. In the meantime, Lewis and Ruiz agreed that Lewis would defend against Ruiz AFTER Lewis fought Grant. Then the judge (in the case Lewis filed) ruled against Lewis and said he had to fight Ruiz first. Then Ruiz said to hell with our agreement, the judge says you have to fight me. The Grant fight was only 10 days or so away, so Lewis told them all to go to hell.

Then Ruiz fought Holyfield for the vacant belt.

Had the Holyfield-Akinwande fight have taken place, and Akinwande wasn't the mando after Lewis-Holyfield unified, seems like all of this would've been avoided.

Anyway, I'd have taken Holyfield by decision or late-round stoppage. Akinwande is underrated. He didn't fight much different than Wlad Klitschko did. He was a jab, jab, jab, straight right, hug you until the ref broke them guy.

It would've been a close fight. But I don't see Evander losing at that point.

 

I pick Holyfield by decision or late round stoppage. Probably the latter.

Akinwande is a good example of a man who held a title but never the championship.