JRE MMA Show #80 with Evander Holyfield

Joe Rogan (0:03)

Boom, and we're live. What's up, champ? How are you?

Evander Holyfield (0:05)

I'm great, and how are you doing?

Joe Rogan (0:06)

I'm great, man. It's a pleasure to meet you. I've been a fan forever.

Evander Holyfield (0:10)

Oh, good.

Joe Rogan (0:11)

I've seen every single fight you've ever had, so for me, it's an honor to have you in here, man, as a giant boxing fan. All the way back to Dwight Cowie, saw you fight in the Olympics, saw everything.

Yeah, for real. And I understand you're going to do an exhibition now.

Evander Holyfield (0:29)

Well, yeah, I'm preparing for one, you know, me going over to Japan and being able to go over there and see the Tauhont or whatever that...

Joe Rogan (0:44)

Tsunami?

Evander Holyfield (0:45)

Tsunami.

And the point is in the Tsunami, going over there and helping people, and I figured, why not do an exhibition? Right.

Joe Rogan (0:54)

So it's like a benefit for the Tsunami victims?

You look great. You're in great shape still.

Evander Holyfield (1:01)

Well, thank you.

Joe Rogan (1:02)

You never got out of shape.

Evander Holyfield (1:04)

Well, yeah. Heart of the game.

Joe Rogan (1:05)

Yeah.

Evander Holyfield (1:07)

It's easy to maintain and rebuild.

Joe Rogan (1:09)

Easier to maintain and rebuild, yeah. But now at your age, when was the last time you had a fight? Was it like 2011? Is that what it was?

So it's been like eight years, which is... You were thinking of competing deep into your 50s, though.

Evander Holyfield (1:24)

Well, yeah, the thing is that I'm always trying to stay in shape, but I really didn't want to get hit again.

Joe Rogan (1:32)

Right, right, right.

Evander Holyfield (1:33)

Like that. But exhibition, I could do an exhibition.

Joe Rogan (1:37)

Who is the exhibition against?

Evander Holyfield (1:39)

I don't know yet.

I'm thinking about... I wanted to be ready at both, me and him buddies. Now, you could do it with somebody you're friends with, because they know that they're not going to hit you too hard if you don't hit them too hard.

Joe Rogan (1:54)

Right, so it would be more of a sparring deal.

Evander Holyfield (1:57)

Yes.

Joe Rogan (1:58)

Now, how often are you training now?

Evander Holyfield (2:00)

Well, I'm always training. I shadow box. I don't hit the bag, but I'm ready to do it now because I'm actually going to be performing.

I want to look good, but I don't want to get in a doggy doggy fight.

Joe Rogan (2:18)

Right. You don't want to get into a war.

You just want to have a little exhibition sparring match, just a little combinations, not hitting each other too hard, that kind of deal?

Evander Holyfield (2:27)

Well, yeah. We can hit hard to the body, but not the head.

Joe Rogan (2:33)

Right.

Now, at this stage of your life, it's been a while since you competed. Are you worried that those competitive juices might get fired up again and you might want to actually fight again?

Evander Holyfield (2:45)

No, I don't think I will ever go back in because I did everything I wanted to do. I feel that I got as far as I wanted to get.

And you know, I'm the only four-time heavyweight champion of the world.

Joe Rogan (2:59)

Ever.

Evander Holyfield (3:00)

So I ain't got no reason to be mad with nobody about anything. I think I had a great career.

Joe Rogan (3:09)

You had an unbelievable career.

Evander Holyfield (3:10)

Yes.

Joe Rogan (3:10)

You were the only four-time heavyweight champion of the world, ever. I mean, I can remember way back in the day when you were moving up from cruiserweight to heavyweight.

You know, and it was one of the rare times where we were watching. Back in those days, if folks who don't know, it was kind of taboo for boxers to lift weights.

Evander Holyfield (3:27)

Yeah, it was.

Joe Rogan (3:28)

And it was Mackie Shilstone that got you ready for that, right?

Evander Holyfield (3:32)

No, no, it was Tim Hallmark, yeah, Tim Hallmark.

Joe Rogan (3:34)

Mackie Shilstone got Spinks ready.

Evander Holyfield (3:37)

Got Spinks ready, yeah. Yeah, and I came after that, and the point of coming out to Mackie Shilstone, everybody thought about the weight, but Tim Hallmark would talk about flexibilities, all the things you had to do when you lift weights.

Joe Rogan (3:53)

Right, yeah. Because everybody used to think before that that if you lifted weights, it made you stiff.

Evander Holyfield (3:58)

Yeah, and Tim was able to, he did everything with me to show me that that's just a myth.