Evander Holyfield started boxing at age eight at the Warren Memorial Boys Club in Atlanta. A coach noticed him hitting the speed bag and, with his mother's permission, began training him. Holyfield became a top-rated amateur and made the 1984 U.S. Olympic team.
Over 12 years, he climbed through the cruiserweight division before transitioning to heavyweight. He claimed the heavyweight title in 1990 by defeating Buster Douglas and won it two more times throughout his career. The pinnacle came in 1996 when Muhammad Ali—the greatest of all time—lit the Olympic torch. Holyfield's journey from a boys club in Atlanta to boxing legend remains one of the sport's great stories.
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