Evander Holyfield vs. Adílson Rodrigues

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Evander Holyfield vs. Adílson Rodrigues took place on July 15, 1989, at Caesars Tahoe in Stateline, Nevada. The bout was for the WBC Continental Americas heavyweight title. Holyfield, nicknamed “The Real Deal,” defended his title against Adílson Rodrigues, known as “Maguila.” Rodrigues was the WBC No. 2 contender and trained by Angelo Dundee.

Rodrigues controlled much of the first round, landing steady shots to Holyfield’s body and head. In the second round, Holyfield surged back, delivering a left–right combination followed by an overhand right that knocked Rodrigues out. Rodrigues lay motionless on the canvas for over a minute before his corner revived him. Referee Mills Lane counted to ten and declared Holyfield the winner by knockout at 1:29 of the second round. Lane later remarked that Holyfield “has a heavy hand.”

Pre-fight records were Holyfield 21–0 (17 KOs) and Rodrigues 35–2 (26 KOs).