Boxing fans all over the world may be waiting for the Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather bout, but it seems that the real fight of the century will take place on May 15, when Mitt Romney — yes, Romney, the former Massachusetts governor who aspired for the presidential seat — will come face-to-face with Evander Holyfield in Salt Lake City.
Romney may be a tough politician, but he is clearly a no-match when compared with Holyfield, at least physically. Holyfield is a five-time heavyweight title-holder who has fought in the ring with the likes of George Foreman and Mike Tyson.
Romney, however, will be strapping on his gloves to go toe-to-toe with the former heavyweight champion for a charity boxing event, a fundraiser for nonprofit organization Charity Vision, which aims to help the blind.
The foundation helps doctors in developing countries perform surgeries that could restore the vision of individuals with curable blindness. Although it has an operational budget of only $1 million per year, Charity Vision is able to oversee about 40,000 surgeries annually in developing countries across the globe, with each surgery costing about $25.
In an interview, Romney jokingly shared what he envisioned the fight to be. The 68-year-old, however, said that he thinks the fight with "The Real Deal" Holyfield will be fun.
"It will either be a very short fight, or I will be knocked unconscious," Romney said. "It won't be much of a fight. We'll both suit up and get in the ring and spar around a little bit."
Romney said that instead of having the usual dinner and listening to speakers, the organization thought that a boxing bout with him and Holyfield in the ring would better entertainment. The two will be in full protective gear when they "battle" in the night for a light-hearted fight. Whoever wins though, nobody will likely get hurt.
The Romney-Holyfield bout may be one of the event's highlights, but it will not be the only fight that night. It will be followed by three other fights that will involve professional and active boxers.
Romney's son, Josh Romney, who has already confirmed the participation of his father for the black-tie event, serves as a volunteer president for Charity Vision. The corporate sponsorship for the event is between $25,000 to $250,000.
Photo: Tony Alter | Flickr
