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Former heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield has been benched by the New York State Athletic Commission after his losing performance against Larry Donald at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night.
Ron Stevens, NYSAC chairman, said Holyfield has been placed on an indefinite medical suspension based on his poor showing. That means the 42-year-old will have to be cleared by the New York commission before he can get into the ring anywhere in the United States. All other state commissions will honor New York's suspension.
Holyfield said he doesn't agree with the suspension and plans to continue boxing. He said the NYSAC was perpetuating a "conspiracy" to get him out of boxing. "Why do they want to usher me out? What have I done to this game that they don't want me in it anymore?" Holyfield said. "Do you really care about a person so much that you want to protect him from himself? Ain't that much love in the world to go against a person's will."
He lost a unanimous 12-round decision to Donald in a match where he won just one round on two of the judges' scorecards and two on the other's. He blamed back spasms for his bad showing.
Holyfield (38-8-2, 25 KOs) is 2-5-2 in his past nine bouts.