Are you going to Evander Holyfield’s auction?
Evander Holyfield (c) has always been a fan favorite, even among the officials – like referee Pat Russell (r) and judge Fritz Werner (l) shown here posing for a photo with the former champ at the Pechanga Resort & Casino in Temecula, Calif. All photos: Jim Wyatt
On Friday, November 30, 2012, Evander “The Real Deal” Holyfield will have the majority of his keepsakes auctioned off at Julien’s Auctions in Beverly Hills, Calif. With expertise in entertainment memorabilia, Julien’s Auctions previous clients include Cher, Michael Jackson, U2, Barbara Streisand, plus the estates of Marilyn Monroe, Bob Hope, etcetera.
The auctioneer’s pitch for Holyfield’s finery: “It’s an unprecedented array of boxing memorabilia, household items, vehicles, jewelry and personal property. This historic collection is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for fans, investors, museums and collectors alike to join in the celebration of the career of one of the greatest fighting champions of all time.”
With 44 wins, 29 by knockout, over a career spanning three decades, Holyfield’s record demonstrates a commitment to excellence.
Evander Holyfield on a promotional poster with George Foreman, April 19, 1991.
On March 13, 1999, Lennox Lewis (r) unloads a big overhand right flush on the granite chin of Evander “The Real Deal” Holyfield.
By this point in his career, Mike Tyson had turned into this crazed animal and frankly wasn’t worth the aggravation. When he bit off a piece of Evander Holyfield’s ear, no one could believe what they had witnessed.
Within the first 20 months of his professional career, Evander Holyfield had become the WBA World Cruiserweight Champion.
Holyfield’s collection features memorabilia from every stage of his career — from his teenage years to his final bout, a 10 round TKO victory over Brian Nielsen on May 7, 2011. Highlights from the auction will include his 1984 Olympic Bronze Medal, 1983 Pan-Am Games Silver medal, 20 pairs of fight-worn gloves including the gloves worn in the June 1997 Holyfield versus Tyson II fight, a.k.a. “The Bite Fight”, his WBC, WBA and IBF Championship belts to include his first ever professional title belt for his 1986 WBA Cruiserweight title.
More than 25 framed fight-worn robes and trunks will be included, plus those worn for his 1996 upset of a then-heavily favored Mike Tyson. That fight resulted in the retention of his WBA Heavyweight title and was declared “Fight of The Year” by The Ring magazine.
Some of the key artifacts of the Holyfield Collection are his numerous championship rings including Holyfield’s individual rings commemorating his unification as Undisputed Heavyweight Champion, two-time Heavyweight Champion, three-time Heavyweight Champion and four-time Heavyweight Champion. Matching the impressiveness of Holyfield’s championship rings are his championship trophies including his 1992 WBA Boxer of the Year award.
The auction will also feature items from Holyfield’s life outside of the ring including furniture and decorative items from his residence, clothing from his custom-made wardrobe, fine women and men’s diamond jewelry, and watches from Rolex, Cartier and Patek Philippe.
On May 10, 2010, a Patek Philippe wristwatch became the most expensive timepiece to be sold at auction when purchased by a Swiss museum, through Christie’s in Geneva, for 6.26 million Swiss francs ($5.50 million US). In other words, over the years, Evander has acquired some pretty expensive trinkets.
One of the feature vehicles going on the auction block will be his 1962 Chevy Corvette. The red speedster was manufactured the same year as he was born and was one of his first significant purchases.
From his humble beginnings in Atlanta to his storied career inside professional arenas, Holyfield has demonstrated his commitment to excellence. All of the property from the auction will be featured in a full color limited edition catalog available for $75. A limited number of catalogs will be signed by Holyfield for the purchase price of $250.
From Monday, November 19 through Thursday, November 29 from 10:00 a.m. till 5 p.m. (Excluding Sunday and Thanksgiving Day) the public is invited to view this exhibition of Holyfield’s memorabilia at no charge. Then, on Friday, November 30, 2012, the live auction at Julien’s Auctions, 9665 Wilshire Boulevard, Ste. 150, Beverly Hills, CA 90210 will take place along with the simultaneous Online version. Session 1: 10:00 a.m. P.S.T. and Session 2: 2:00 p.m. P.S.T.
Muhammad Ali (r) pretends to be landing a straight right hand at the Beatles, (r to l) George Harrison, Ringo Starr, John Lennon and Paul McCartney, who were in the U. S. to promote their budding careers.
I’m sure everyone is rooting for Evander to do well in this auction. This is the same auction house that got $3,437.50 for a Babe Ruth signed U. S. one dollar bill and $6,875 for a 1952 Mickey Mantle Topps baseball card. Michael Jordon’s 1995-96 game worn and signed sneakers went for $10,240. The handwritten love letters Mike Tyson wrote while in prison fetched $1,024, while this Muhammad Ali signed image (to the left) with the Beatles brought $750.
While Madonna’s stage worn undergarment went for $13,750, Amy Winehouse’s robe from the video “Rehab” went for $34,375. Even though his two wastebaskets fetched only $768, Elvis Presley’s personal telephone went for $20,480. Michael Jackson’s pillowcase brought $5,120, a Bubbles toy $4,480 and then his estate rebounded when a pair of loafers went for $19,200.
Someone needs to apprise Evander of the merits of adding a pair of his loafers.
(For a visual, check out the article “Evander Holyfield’s 5oth Birthday Bash” to see the many items they have up for auction)
