Evander Holyfield has 230 million reasons to live

THE REAL DEAL: Evander Holyfield connects with Mike Tyson during their heavyweight world title fight in Las Vegas in 1997. Tyson was disqualified for biting Holyfield 

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Last time you read about Evander Holyfield, chances are he seemed in a bad way.

Maybe he was still dreaming of one last shot. Maybe he was selling his 109-room mansion, all those hard-earned belts and his bloodied gloves and robes.

Well, I'm pleased to relay that "The Real Deal" has some new deals in the offing, which might pay dividends. And he seems happy again.

Holyfield, boxing's only four-time world heavyweight champion, formally announced his retirement from the ring last year, at the age of 51.

The $230-million he earned over a 26-year career was gone, as were three wives. But 11 kids remained, by six different women. They've cost him his fortune, but they also point the way to a brighter future.

One son, Elijah, is one of the best high school running backs in American football, about to make the transition to college football.

Another, Evan, hopes to follow in his father's footsteps and make his name in the ring. Although, for the old man, hope is not enough.

At Evan's gym in Atlanta, Holyfield snr tells it like his momma told it. "My momma said: 'No excuses - you determine your own destiny, by what you choose to believe and what you choose to say'."

So when Evan suggests that "maybe" he wants to go to the Olympics, "just like Dad did", Holyfield snr gets preaching.

"People who suggest things might happen don't become champions," he says. "People who become champions are the ones who say: 'This is what I'm gonna do'." Asked how many times he's had this lecture, Evan says: "A lot."

Holyfield snr grew up poor in the Atlanta suburb of Sugar Hill but his momma, Annie, showered him with wisdom. "She had sixth-grade education but that was good enough for me," says Holyfield, who was the youngest of nine children.

"I didn't have a father but I had the right momma. She could have quit at any time - but she was the real 'Real Deal'. She used to say: 'Son, don't be a coward - a coward dies a thousand times but a man dies once.'

"I grew up in a black neighbourhood and my brothers always told me: 'White boys can't fight.' Then, one day, I had to fight a white kid called Cecil Collins. When I hit him, he hit me back. And when they announced Cecil as the winner, I cried, ran home to my momma and told her I quit.

"She told me: 'I ain't raised a quitter, you got to go back.' I did go back - and Cecil beat me again. I cried and threatened to quit - but my momma sent me back again.

"And eventually I beat him. I passed the test. When I went home, my momma told me one of life's most important lessons - 'Quit because things don't go your way and you won't reach your goal. So don't quit.' And I didn't."

Nobody ever accused Holyfield of being a quitter again, at least not between the ropes. After winning a bronze medal at the 1984 Olympics, he cleaned up the cruiserweight division.

Then came the big boys in the heavyweights and the bigger money - Buster Douglas, Riddick Bowe and Mike Tyson unleashed.

Last week was the 25th anniversary of Holyfield knocking out Douglas and winning the heavyweight world title for a first time.

The date went largely unmarked, because Holyfield is that kind of fighter, his greatness destined always to be underplayed.

This lack of recognition welded to his momma's early lessons and a strong religious faith made Holyfield the pathologically stubborn man he is.

Even now, he thinks he'll get it all back and make it all better - the mansion, the belts, the pockmarked dignity.

"Losing everything was hard," says Holyfield. "The Bible says: 'The second half of your life is going to be better than the first half.' I made $230-million in the first half, so I've still got reasons to live."

Over at Elijah's football practice, Holyfield snr casts a critical eye over another one of those reasons.

"I'm proud of how Elijah carries himself, proud of his attitude. I'm the 'Old Deal'. He's the 'Real Deal'. In fact, you might say he's the 'New Deal'."

It might not be about Holyfield being happy. But there's far too much sadness in boxing, so it's nice to know he is.