HOLYFIELD, EVANDER FIGHT WORN CORNERMAN JACKET (2008-VALUEV FIGHT-HALLMARK LOA)

HISTORY: On December 20, 2008 in Zurich, Switzerland WBA Heavyweight Champion Nikolai Valuev defended his title against former champion Evander Holyfield. Valuev won a controversial 12 round majority decision in defense of his title. Dan Rafael- "What a humiliating night for boxing. The stench from this fight won't go away even with a strong wind. Everything about it stunk as it notched the hat trick of heinous, specifically: 1. The WBA never should have approved the 46-year-old Holyfield to fight for the title in the first place after he lost his previous fight in lopsided fashion to Sultan Ibragimov for another belt more than a year ago. 2. The fight was horrible, one of the worst heavyweight title fights in history with less contact than an episode of "Dancing With the Stars." 3. The decision was so atrocious and so scandalous that it made Holyfield's gift draw in his first with Lennox Lewis look like a competent ruling. Judges Pierluigi Poppi (the 116-112 joke) and Mikael Hook (the 115-114 disaster) rendered ghastly scorecards. Judge Guillermo Perez Pineda's 114-114 draw was merely disgusting. For the record, ESPN.com, watching the fight on pay-per-view, scored it 117-112 for Holyfield.

Holyfield, who was the fan favorite of the 12,500 in the sold-out crowd, was bidding to become the oldest heavyweight titleholder in history. He also was bidding for a record fifth title reign. But he was ripped off. Badly. Although few gave him any serious chance to win, he deserved to make history in his 25th year as a professional, eight years removed from the last time he held a title.

Holyfield deserved the victory not because he fought well. He didn't. All he did was bounce around, move from side to side and stay about 10 feet from Valuev all night while coming forward a couple of times per round to land a combination. But given that Valuev, who looked like a statue, fought as if he was in a coma all night long, what little Holyfield was doing should have been enough for a landslide points victory.

Valuev barely threw any punches at all. He threw so few that it looked as if he was purposely trying not to hit Holyfield for fear of hurting the old man. Where was the excellent jab he possesses? Never once was there a sense of urgency nor the notion that he should try to do anything other than plod around and follow Holyfield. And remember: Russia's Valuev, 35, is 7 feet and 310 pounds, a mountain of a man. Holyfield is barely 6-foot-2 and weighs 214 pounds. It was a physical mismatch, but Valuev never did one thing to use his advantages. Frankly, you can make more of a legitimate argument that Holyfield won all 12 rounds than you can make one that Valuev claimed at least seven to take the fight. Holyfield, obviously disappointed, summed up the fight well in his postfight interview: "I thought I hit him more times than he hit me."

Broadcaster Nick Charles, handling the blow-by-blow for the U.S. pay-per-view, summed it up even better: "I am shocked, dazed and amazed. That is the worst display of officiating I have ever seen."

Valuev's credibility as a titleholder is nonexistent. Why would anyone pay 10 cents to see him fight again, especially against somebody such as Wladimir or Vitali Klitschko? His nonperformance has reduced him to a joke. As for Holyfield, although he was robbed, hopefully he will finally retire, but that seems unlikely because of the sad state of his financial affairs.

What a thoroughly rotten way to end a great year of boxing that gave us such memorable fights as Israel Vazquez-Rafael Marquez III, Manny Pacquiao-Juan Manuel Marquez II, Tomasz Adamek-Steve Cunningham and Antonio Margarito-Miguel Cotto, not to mention marvelous performances such as Pacquiao against Oscar De La Hoya and Bernard Hopkins against Kelly Pavlik. All have been clouded by this rancid fight and a worse decision."

Offered here is an original fight used cormerman jacket worn by Holyfield assistant trainer Tim Hallmark during this fight. Tim Hallmark LOA.

FULL DESCRIPTION: This an original, satin, Grant manufactured, cornerman's jacket worn during this fight by Evander Holyfield assistant trainer Tim Hallmark. Clean. No tears. Short sleeves. Approximate size Large. Comes with an LOA from Tim Hallmark. Comes with video showing the jacket being worn during fight.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVoxopKtuyc