News Digest

Mitt Romney ‘knocks down’ Evander Holyfield at charity boxing match

Failed 2012 U.S. presidential candidate Mitt Romney has entered the boxing ring to fight former heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield for charity. The former Massachusetts governor took on the retired boxing star at an event on Friday night in Salt Lake City, Utah. At a weigh-in, Romney, 68, tipped the scales at 179lbs, whilst Holyfield, 52, weighed in at 236lbs. The two barely threw any punches and largely just danced around, occasionally lightly jabbing each other in the midsection in what was much more of a comedic event than an actual bout.

He said, 'You know what? You float like a bee and sting like a butterfly’.

Mitt Romney

Romney manged to “knock down” Holyfield in the second round - but a short time later, he threw in the towel - giving the win to a fighter who was once known as the “Real Deal”. All of the money raised - as much as $1m according to organisers - will go the humanitarian group Charity Vision, which sends doctors and equipment to poor nations for eye surgeries. Mr Romney was the Republican candidate in 2012 but lost to President Barack Obama. He recently announced he would not be seeking a new nomination. Beyond his religious connections, the former Massachusetts governor is remembered by many for turning around Salt Lake City’s 2002 Winter Olympics after a bribery scandal. Holyfield famously had part of his ear bitten off by Mike Tyson during a fight in Las Vegas in 1997.