Evander Holyfield vs. John Ruiz, billed as Justice, was a professional boxing match contested on August 12, 2000 for the vacant WBA heavyweight championship.
Background After Lennox Lewis defeated Evander Holyfield at the second attempt to become the undisputed heavyweight champion, the WBA ordered Lewis to face its top contender John Ruiz, where as Lewis wanted to first defend his titles against WBC and IBF number two contender Michael Grant. The WBA and Lewis agreed that he would fight Grant first followed by Ruiz. Ruiz's promoter Don King challenged the decision in court and a clause was found in Lewis' contract that stated the winner of the Holyfield–Lewis fight would first defend his titles against the WBA's number one contender. Because of this, Lewis was stripped of his WBA title.Hard-Hitting Federal Judge Strips Lewis of WBA Title, L.A. Times article, 2000-04–13, Retrieved on 2013-08-10 The WBA chose Holyfield to face Ruiz for the vacant WBA Heavyweight title.
The co feature of the bout was set to be a mandatory defence for WBA welterweight champion James Page against Andrew Lewis, however it was called off at a few days notice after a dispute over the purse bid. As a result a bout between Rosendo Álvarez and Beibis Mendoza, which was originally part of the undercard for the Tim Austin vs. Arthur Johnson bout held the day before, was moved to fill the slot on the Holyfield Ruiz card.
The fight Ruiz was aggressive throughout the fight landing many effective jabs, and except for late in the third round, he was never really in any serious trouble from Holyfield.
Judges Duane Ford and Dave Moretti scored the fight 114–113, while Fernando Viso scored it 116–112 giving Evander Holyfield victory by unanimous decision to become the first boxer in history to be the World Heavyweight Champion four times.
Main event scorecards
Aftermath The decision was controversial as many observers and boxing reporters felt that the underdog Ruiz had done enough to win. In interviews after the fight Ruiz said "It was highway robbery without a gun,... I won the fight and he knows I won the fight...I had control of the fight. I am very surprised by the judges' decision. I don't know what fight they saw." Showtime commentators described the decision as "absurd" and "ridiculous".
Due to this controversial decision, an immediate rematch was ordered to take place in early 2001
Eight days after refereeing the co featured bout, referee Mitch Halpern committed suicide at his home in Las Vegas.
Undercard Confirmed bouts: Winner Loser Weight division/title belt(s) disputed Result Beibis Mendoza Rosendo Álvarezvacant WBA World light flyweight title7th round DQ.Non-TV bouts Daniel Seda Oscar Leónvacant WBA Fedelatin featherweight title8th round TKO. Richie Melito Thomas WilliamsHeavyweight (10 rounds)1st round KO. Christy Martin Dianna LewisWelterweight (10 rounds)Unanimous Decision. Carlos Quintana Miguel AvilaWelterweight (10 rounds)1st round TKO. Jeffrey Hill Shakir AshantiSuper Welterweight (6 rounds)4th round TKO. Siarhei Liakhovich Tracy WilsonHeavyweight (4 rounds)1st round KO.
Broadcasting Country Broadcaster Showtime
References