Holyfield floors Moorer for title

Holyfield, wearing a purple and white robe, swayed to the gospel music blaring “to glory, to glory, let the people praise him” as he made his entrance to the Thomas and Mack arena, a few minutes late, letting Moorer wait for him. Holyfield started slowly, and there were some boxing sages ringside who said he was showing his age.

He certainly wasn’t sharp in the early going, but Holyfield is a notorious slow starter, usually needing a stiff right hand to the head to wake up the warrior that is always just below the surface.

He woke up to the point of dropping the 29-year-old Moorer five times — once in the fifth round, twice in the seventh and twice in the eighth.

Moorer got up each time before referee, Mitch Halpern stopped the scheduled 12-round fight on the advice of doctor Flip Homansky after the eighth round.

Halpern said Moorer did not respond to his questions after the last knockdown and the doctor advised the stoppage.

Holyfield was not sharp in the early going, pawing Moorer with a jab. Moorer made him pay, buckling Holyfield’s knees with a right hand to the head. That was the wake-up call and Holyfield, who never met a brawl he didn’t like, came firing back.

Moorer accidentaly butted Holyfield in the third round and the fight was momentarily stopped while the cut was examined. Holyfield, now 35-3 and $20 million richer, was the overwhelming favourite of the crowd of 13,200 at the Thomas and Mack arena.