Las Vegas Weekly

April 11, 2010 · 11:51 AM

Photos: He’s back! ‘The Real Deal’ conquers ‘The White Buffalo’

By Robin Leach

Evander Holyfield vs. Frans Botha at Thomas & Mack Center on April 10, 2010. Holyfield won the heavyweight bout with an eighth-round TKO.

Photo: Tom Donoghue/www.donoghuephotography.com

He may be 47 years old, but he’s “The Real Deal” and won the World Boxing Federation heavyweight championship title last night at UNLV’s Thomas & Mack Center. Four-time heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield regained his title when he stopped 41-year-old Frans “The White Buffalo” Botha of South Africa with a TKO in the eighth round.

Our contributing photographer Tom Donoghue was ringside for this photo gallery of all the action. Some critics called the main event an AARP Heavyweight Championship and an early bird special, but Evander, looking muscular and dominant and continuing his win streak in Las Vegas, said, “I fight because, the fact of the matter is, I don’t let nobody determine my destination. I would never be who I am if I listened to what people had to say.”

Evander (43-10-2), who was spotted with his entourage in the Luxor before last night’s bout, isn’t planning on retirement after the win. He is now hoping for a fight against one of the Klitschko brothers, as was reported by our colleagues at LasVegasSun.com, who had the round-by-round breakdown last night.

In the co-feature, Henry Namauu of Las Vegas dominated Rayford Johnson in their 10-round cruiserweight matchup. Henry is a UNLV graduate who works at Thomas & Mack Center.

Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.

Follow Robin Leach on Twitter at Twitter.com/Robin_Leach.

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Follow VDLX Editor Don Chareunsy on Twitter at Twitter.com/VDLXEditorDon.

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