All Heart: Evan Holyfield works his way back into ring after learning of heart condition

Evan Holyfield (above, left) experienced unusual symptoms during training one day, such as vomiting and chest pain, he initially attributing them to anxiety or stress. Later he learned that the situation was much more severe. Photo by Kerri Phox/The Atlanta Voice As a professional boxer, young and in peak physical condition, Evan Holyfield, 26, never expected to learn that he had a serious heart condition, but that was the reality he faced in September 2023. “When I first got the news that I was going to need open heart surgery, it was a surreal moment,” Holyfield said. “It didn’t seem real to me until probably about 24 hours before the surgery.” His father, multi-time heavyweight and Olympic champion Evander Holyfield, named him Eleazar, meaning ‘one whom God helps’, yet he goes by his middle name, Evan, a shortened version of his father’s name. That divine help emerged during preparation for a professional boxing match when Evan experienced unusual symptoms during his training, such as vomiting and chest pain. Initially attributing them to anxiety or stress, he learned after a doctor’s visit that the situation was much more severe. Photo by Kerri Phox/The Atlanta Voice “They hooked me up to the...