Evan Holyfield Knocks Out Management Contract

Sports

Dec 11, 2020

Press release

Evan Holyfield says his dad is ready to take on former-rival Mike Tyson for the third time, who famously bit off a piece of Evander Holyfield’s ear in 1997. Evan wants the next match to be a family affair with him fighting the preliminary match.

In Texas Evan Holyfield has another impressive knockout in his boxing career. Not in the ring, but in the courts and as a result he has his freedom back.

Evan Holyfield has successfully voided what his lawyers called a “fraudulent, dishonest, and unconscionable” management contract scheme contrived by Maurice “Termite” Watkins. Holyfield filed a lawsuit against Watkins in the 334^th Harris County District Court in June 2020 after the pair entered a management contract that Watkins failed to uphold.

After signing the contract, Holyfield soon came to believe Watkins’ representations were lies.

The lawsuit alleges Watkins sought to take advantage of Holyfield’s talent and internationally recognized name as his manager. The contract was written by Watkins, who allegedly used his 52 years of boxing experience to take advantage of Holyfield. Watkins coerced the young Holyfield into the deal with a relentless pressure campaign.

Holyfield was represented by Houston attorney Andrew Cobos of The Cobos Law Firm. Cobos stated, “My client recognized that the Defendants in this case jeopardized his career and sought to take advantage of his name and talent. Then he took action. I am glad that the court recognized the situation for what it was and entered an order stating that this oppressive contract is void.”

The contract Holyfield entered promised extensive one-on-one training time with Watkins and a strength coach to prepare the boxer for upcoming matches: “thirty to forty-five hours per week refining the raw talent that Holyfield possessed.”

Holyfield received just a fraction of the time with Watkins and only three or four hours over internet or text message with the strength coach.

Attorneys for Holyfield state “it is unheard of in the boxing world for a promising young fighter—one with aspirations of becoming a world champion—to be virtually trained.

When Holyfield confronted Watkins about the training, Watkins made racially insensitive threats stating he would “sell Holyfield to the highest bidder”. The lawsuit also states Watkins stole earnings he had no entitlement to.

The most shocking part of the lawsuit—Watkins did not even have the legal capacity to act as a manager. Watkins is not licensed or registered with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation as required by law in professional combative sports such as boxing.

“This case should send a message to boxing managers everywhere, and that is, do what is right, do what is honorable, and do what is fair,” said Cobos.

Evan Holyfield will fight his 5^th professional match this weekend on December 12 against Donnis Reed at Champion Boxing Gym in Jonesboro, Georgia.

ESPYS 2015: Evander Holyfield Says Caitlyn Jenner Is Still Bruce

Jul 16, 2015

Caitlyn Jenner accepted the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the ESPYs on July 15.

While receiving the award, Caitlyn Jenner has called on sports people to help change attitudes towards transgender people.

But boxer Evander Holyfield doesn’t seem to get it.

Caitlyn Jenner, who used to be known as Bruce Jenner, received a standing ovation after winning the “courage” award at a ceremony in LA.

Speaking on stage at the ESPYS, which honors sportspeople, Caitlyn Jenner said: “Trans people deserve something vital, they deserve your respect.”

Afterwards, former heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield said: “I just know that’s Bruce Jenner and I’ll leave it at that.”

Photo AP

Others on the red carpet reacted differently though.

Little League baseball pitcher Mo’ne Davis, who is 14, described Caitlyn Jenner as “brave to have the courage to get through a lot of those things”.

Although some think say college basketball player Lauren Hill, who died of brain cancer in April, was more deserving of the honor.

ESPN has also denied rumors Caitlyn Jenner was given the award in exchange for plugs on her new reality show, calling the claims “completely false”.

In her 10-minute acceptance speech, Caitlyn Jenner asked the audience, which included football, basketball, baseball and ice hockey stars, to make transgender equality one of their issues too.

Caitlyn Jenner, 65, said what sport stars say and do is “absorbed and observed by millions of people, especially young people”.

The former Olympian told them about trans teenagers who are bullied, beaten up, murdered or kill themselves, mentioning two people deaths that particularly touched her.

“If you want to call me names, make jokes and doubt my intentions, go ahead because the reality is I can take it,” Caitlyn Jenner said.

“But for thousands of kids out there coming to terms with the reality of who they are they shouldn’t have to take it.”

Caitlyn Jenner described the last few months as “a whirlwind” after confirming she was transgender in April.

She thanked her family for their support, with daughters Kendall and Kylie Jenner wiping away tears in the audience.

The Arthur Ashe award is named after the tennis player who died from AIDS in 1993 after a blood transfusion.

Caitlyn Jenner said she had met Arthur Ashe a few times and knew education was important to him.

“Learn as much as you can about another person to understand them as well as you can,” she said.

Caitlyn Jenner’s new show I Am Cait starts this July.