LAS VEGAS (AP) — Evander Holyfield
stopped Frans Botha in the eighth round to win the WBF heavyweight title Saturday night.The 47-year-old Holyfield (43-10-2) knocked the 41-year old Botha (47-5-3) down with 2:36 left in the round with a right to the left chin.
Botha beat referee Russell Mora's count, but with 2:05 left Mora stopped the fight with Botha backed into a corner. It was Holyfield's 28th career knockout.
Two judges had Botha ahead 67-66 when the fight was stopped. The other judge had it 69-64 for Holyfield, the former heavyweight champion.
There were only about 2,200 people in the stands at the Thomas & Mack Center, most rooting for Holyfield.
Holyfield briefly lost his balance, stumbling into a corner after a right from Botha with 2:04 left in the second round. After that, Holyfield started taking control.
Botha, a native South African, was warned by the referee twice in the first three rounds for hitting behind the head. Botha also was warned in the first round for a double hit to the head during a clinch.
This was Holyfield's first fight in Las Vegas since 2003, when he lost to James Tooney at Mandalay Bay.
Before Saturday Holyfield was only 10-6 in Las Vegas, including the infamous ear-biting incident against Mike Tyson in 1997, when he won by disqualification.
Source: latimes.com
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