Evander Holyfield vs. Pinklon Thomas
Evander Holyfield 210 lbs beat Pinklon Thomas 222 lbs by RTD at 3:00 in round 7 of 10
- Date: 1988-12-09
- Location: Convention Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA
- Referee: Tony Perez
- Judge: Rocky Castellani 70-60
- Judge: Henry Eugene Grant 69-63
- Judge: Frank Brunette 70-61
Holyfield Stops Thomas in Seven
By Phil Berger, the New York Times, December 10, 1988
Evander Holyfield is being touted as the super opponent of Mike Tyson's boxing future. But tonight that future was still clouded by his inability to knock down full-grown heavyweight men.
Even as he scored a workmanlike victory over the former heavyweight champion, Pinklon Thomas - Thomas's trainer, Angelo Dundee, stopped the bout at the end of the seventh round of a scheduled 10-round bout at the Convention Hall - those nagging questions about Holyfield's punch remained.
As the designated warrior of Tyson's future, it is not enough for Holyfield, the undisputed cruiserweight champion, simply to beat other heavyweights. His performances are measured against the anticipated Tyson-Holyfield bout, expected to take place in 1989.
Against that prospect, Holyfield has been winning fights but losing believers. As he did in his heavyweight debut in July against James (Quick) Tillis, Holyfield landed booming punches - tonight the left hook got through to Thomas's shaved head with impunity - but once again he was unable to fell the opponent.
While Holyfield weighed 210 pounds - 8 pounds more than he did against Tillis - and in his remolded physique, looked every bit the part of a heavyweight, Holyfield did not show the big punch a fighter like him will need to hold off the unrelenting Tyson.
Even Holyfield seemed to realize that his future with Tyson is not right now.
"I know I have to fight better than I fought tonight," Holyfield said afterward. "Because if that's my best I don't see myself being heavyweight champion of the world."
Holyfield started fast against Thomas, banging The Pink Man with sharp left hooks to the body and the head in the opening round. The way Thomas stiffened from the impact of the blows, Holyfield figured to end the fight quickly.
But the 30-year-old Thomas proved a game opponent. Though he did not land often against Holyfield, and won no rounds on the scorecards of two of the three judges, Thomas was willing to stand his ground against Holyfield.
"Holyfield is real strong and deserves all the recognition he can get," Thomas said. Holyfield opened a cut beneath Thomas's right eye in the third, slowed up in the next few rounds, then began zeroing in again in the sixth and seventh rounds.
With his victory, the 26-year-old Holyfield is expected to fight another former heavyweight champion, Michael Dokes, in March at a site to be determined.
"Pinklon was manhandled by Evander," Dundee said.
Dokes scored two knockdowns as he won a lopsided unanimous decision earlier this evening against Rocky Sekorski.
Holyfield's record goes to 20-0 with 16 knockouts. Thomas is 29-3-1 with 24 knockouts.
After the bout, Holyfield said he would give up his undisputed cruiserweight crown.