Former champ Holyfield may be headed to jail

LAS VEGAS – Evander Holyfield was one of the great boxing stars of the 1990s and amassed more than a quarter of a billion dollars in purses during his illustrious career. Apparently, though, $250 million doesn’t go as far as it used to.

Sunday, June 03, 2012
Evander Holyfield's right ear was bitten by Mike Tyson in 1997. Net photo

LAS VEGAS – Evander Holyfield was one of the great boxing stars of the 1990s and amassed more than a quarter of a billion dollars in purses during his illustrious career. Apparently, though, $250 million doesn’t go as far as it used to.Holyfield, who filed bankruptcy in Fayette County, Ga., in 2008, reportedly owes in excess of $372,000 in child support and may wind up in jail if he does not resolve the issue, according to a TMZ report.In both 2008 and 2009, his massive 54,000 square-foot home in Fairburn, Ga., went into foreclosure. The home, which sits on 104 acres, has 109 rooms, including 17 bathrooms, three kitchens and a bowling alley. He’s had numerous financial issues in the years since.On Saturday, TMZ reported that the Georgia Department of Human Services has gone to court on behalf of Holyfield’s 18-year-old daughter. It alleged he owes $372,097.40 in child support that has gone unpaid since April 2010. According to a 2009 report in the Atlanta Journal Constitution, Holyfield has child support payments of more than $500,000 a year. He has at least 11 children.Holyfield, 49, once earned $34 million for a rematch with Mike Tyson in 1997, the so-called "Bite Fight,” in which Tyson bit off the tip of one of Holyfield’s ears. Holyfield has yet to announce his retirement, but hasn’t fought since stopping Brian Nielsen on May 7, 2011, in Copenhagen, Denmark.