Holyfield eager to prove doubters wrong

By Mark Ledsom

ZURICH (Reuters) - Four-time world heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield will be fighting for all the world's 40-somethings when he takes on towering Russian WBA champion Nikolai Valuev this weekend, he said on Wednesday.

Holyfield, 46, is bidding to become the oldest heavyweight champion when he fights in Zurich on Saturday against the tallest and heaviest boxer to hold a world title belt.

As well as being 11 years younger than Holyfield, Valuev is 24 centimeters taller -- at 2.13 meters -- and expected to be some 100 pounds heavier than his American opponent.

"His head is exactly where it needs to be for me to hit it," Holyfield (42-9-2) shrugged when asked at a Wednesday media conference about the difference in the two men's statures.

"I honestly do not think that size really matters. It is about how each individual fights. I know I have more experience so I'm just looking forward to showing my talents in the ring."

For some critics, Holyfield's 'experience' is simply a euphemism for being too old to box, a view that the fight's promoters labored hard on Wednesday to dispel.

"We've been criticized from all sides for letting him box," acknowledged organizer Wilfried Sauerland.

"But it was Evander who came to us asking for this fight and we said 'ok, but you will have to go through extensive medical tests' which he did and passed with flying colors.

"He has built up a reputation as a warrior and I think he will put up a very good fight against Valuev."

Holyfield said on Wednesday he had lost count of the number of times he had been asked about his age but paid no attention.

"I'm happy to talk about my age, and let people look at me and say 'wow, he looks as good as any of the younger fighters'.

"It's a testimony to good living and to not quitting, so my aim is to go and win this fight for all the 40-somethings out there and prove that it's not really fair to put people all in the same pot based purely on their age."

While downplaying Valuev's height advantage, Holyfield acknowledged that he had been working with some oversized sparring partners, including the aptly-named 2.16-meter tall Julius Long, in preparation for Saturday's fight.

"It's not something that I'm worrying about though," Holyfield insisted.

"If he were ten feet tall he would still be a man and this world is not run just by big people or small people. It's run by the people who make the right decisions at the right time."