Holyfield career may be over after Toney loss

They say a fighter is always the last to know when it’s time to go, but surely even Evander Holyfield will now accept the inevitable.

A fortnight before his 41st birthday, the four-times heavyweight world champion was pummelled into submission by James Toney in Las Vegas earlier today.

It was only the second time in a glittering 47-fight career that Holyfield failed to go the distance, the previous occasion coming against Riddick Bowe in 1995.

But this wasn’t the Holyfield that covered himself in such glory throughout brutal wars against Mike Tyson, Lennox Lewis and in that great trilogy with Bowe himself.

‘The Real Deal’ now looked a pale imitation of that ring legend as he was bashed up from bell to bell by Toney, a former middleweight world champion who had bulked up by more than 2st for this clash.

The smaller man’s greater hand speed predictably mesmerised Holyfield, who had few answers as Toney connected with countless left-right one-twos and some hurtful left hooks to the body.

But Toney was even happy to trade punches in close and the end mercifully came for Holyfield when he wearily hit the floor in the ninth and his corner threw in the towel.

“He was just too quick for me. Even the times I got in position to go forward, he had the agility to get away,” said Holyfield.

“He just kept getting his punches off before me, he kept getting into position before me and he just outmanoeuvred me.

“Of course I’ll now go home and evaluate where I stand, and when you don’t do well the first thought is always to quit. That’s what everybody does when they have a bad performance.

“But to make a decision now would be an emotional decision. It would be too easy to say ‘I’m finished, I’m out of here.”’

For Toney, meanwhile, the options now include a big-money match-up with Mike Tyson or a fascinating rematch with Roy Jones, another multi-weight world champion who earlier this year claimed the WBA heavyweight crown.

Toney was already an IBF middleweight and super-middleweight champion when being decisively outpointed by Jones in 1994.

It has been a long and bumpy road back into the big time for the burger-eating bad boy.

But with this impressive win following on from his IBF cruiserweight title victory over the previously unbeaten Vassiliy Jirov, the world is once again his oyster.

“Who’s next,” shouted Toney. “I’m ready to fight anybody out there, any time, anywhere. I’ll knock them all over. My talent speaks for itself.

“Holyfield is a great fighter, a real warrior who came to fight, but he never hurt me once – I’m indestructible.”