Boxing legend Evander Holyfield has said that ‘of course’ one of his major rivals was ‘on steroids’ for their fight.
Holyfield’s legacy in the sport is unrivalled. He remains the only man to be the undisputed cruiserweight champion and then undisputed heavyweight champion, though Oleksandr Usyk is looking to repeat that feat when he faces Tyson Fury in February next year.
Holyfield met James Toney in a non-title bout billed ‘The War’ on October 4 in 2003, at which point Holyfield was a four-time heavyweight world champion and Toney was the reigning IBF cruiserweight king.
Holyfield started the fight well but from the fourth round on Toney began to dominate. Speaking to VLAD TV, he was asked about his corner throwing in the towel in the ninth round.
“That didn’t bother me because the fact of the matter was they was trying to get me out the way. I said James Toney was getting his hands off first but he wasn’t hurting me.”
Then Holyfield stated his belief that Toney was on steroids for that fight.
“Nobody checked for no steroids. I said he had quick hands, he will hit me, but why don’t you check for serious? Of course he was on steroids. He ended up slobbering all over people taking. He tried to say he wasn’t on something even when people didn’t accuse him. They had everybody covering up for somebody for doing something wrong.”
Toney hasn’t responded publicly to the claims, although he would fail a post-fight doping test after facing John Ruiz in 2005 which resulted in the result – previously a win for Toney to claim the WBA Heavyweight Title – to be switched to a no contest. He was banned for 90 days. He said the steroids had been provided by a doctor to treat an injury.