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EVANDER HOLYFIELD ENLISTS HEAVYWEIGHT LEGEND WLADIMIR KLITSCHKO TO HELP HIM TRAIN FOR MIKE TYSON

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Evander Holyfield has brought former world heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko into his training camp as he gears up for a sensational return to the ring.

The 57-year-old, who hung up his gloves back in 2011 after 57 professional fights, is eyeing a trilogy bout against his old rival Mike Tyson later in the year.

Holyfield has insisted that any meeting with the man who famously bit off part of his ear would be a gentle, no-knockout fight, but his latest training video – which features Ukrainian legend Klitschko – suggests otherwise. 

In the clip, which was posted to Holyfield’s Instagram account in the early hours of Friday, the 44-year-old is pictured shaking hands with the American.

Klitschko was brutal in his defeat of Nigeria’s Samuel Peters

He is also seen with a clipboard in his hands as Holyfield works out and appears to be helping Tyson’s long-time foe get up to speed ahead of a potential third fight between the pair.

The latest video is captioned ‘Team Holyfield preparing for battle’, suggesting Klitschko is likely to remain part of the veteran’s camp as he works towards his first fight in almost 10 years.

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Holyfield appears to be in excellent shape in the new clip, which features him working out on the pads with his trainer, former world light heavyweight champion Antonio Tarver, and shadow boxing.

The 57-year-old is also seen skipping, lifting weights and working on his speed and movement in the video, which has fuelled talk of another meeting with Tyson.

The clip ends with Tarver, who also posted a picture of himself with Holyfield and , declaring: ‘The real deal is back, baby’.

Last week, Holyfield revealed to Sportsmail that he has spoken with Tyson about arranging an exhibition fight.

‘Mike and I talked once about this (the exhibition) and from that point on his people have spoken to my people. We are not at a point where we are at an agreement but there have been conversations.  

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‘There are some big people from different countries who would like for us to do it. My whole thing is, “Yes, if there is a way we can do it, then do it”. Me being me and Mike being who Mike is, I know it could be something big.

‘If it could be worked out then there has to be an understanding that there can be none of this other stuff that happens (with Tyson). Ain’t nobody getting a decision or win or lose or going for knockouts. Exhibition.

‘I didn’t really want to get back in the ring because I always said when I stop I will stop. But an exhibition, that is different. I am not killing myself for nobody. I ain’t looking for knockouts and I ain’t going more than three, three-minute rounds. 

‘We do it in an appropriate way. But I am going to be in great shape. And if someone thinks they going to hit me, I don’t want them to think I ain’t going to hit them back. I don’t know if it will be Mike. If it don’t work then it weren’t meant to be.’

Holyfield’s training video was posted just a couple of days after Tyson gave fans another glimpse of his trademark power and speed in his own clip.

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The 53-year-old has also been training hard ahead of a controversial return to the ring, with Shannon Briggs claiming that he had agreed to take on Tyson.

Launching his own page on Chinese microblogging site Weibo, Tyson told fans that: ‘There’s a possibility I might come back’.

Wearing just a pair of jeans and no top, the American then proceeded to shadow box, showing off the speed which once made him the most feared man in boxing.

In the short clip, Tyson throws a series of jabs, hooks and uppercuts, teasing the sort of punches we could see again if a fight with Briggs – or Holyfield – is made official.

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Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

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