Evander Holyfield vs. Michael Moorer II In an effort to unify the three titles, the WBA and IBF organizations announced a unification bout between Holyfield and Moorer set for November 8, 1997. The two men had previously fought each other on April 22, 1994 for Holyfield's WBA, IBF and "Lineal" Heavyweight championships. In a close fight, Moorer earned an upset victory over Holyfield to become the first southpaw to win a major Heavyweight title. However, his reign would not last long as he was defeated by 45-year-old George Foreman via 10th-round knockout in his first defense of the titles. Foreman, however, would eventually be stripped of
Evander Holyfield vs. Michael Moorer II Though Moorer narrowly survived round 8, he would not get the chance to continue the fight. After being examined by ringside physician Flip Homansky, it was decided Moorer could not continue and Holyfield was awarded the victory via technical knockout. A disappointed Moorer was seen pleading with Homansky, wanting to continue the fight despite the five knockdowns and trailing Holyfield by a wide margin on the judge's scorecards. Michael Moorer would retire shortly after the fight, eventually returning in 2000 though he was unable to match his previous success, never again fighting for the Heavyweight championship. Almost immediately after his