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Evander Holyfield likens winning Super Bowl to his boxing prizes
He believes that the Seattle Seahawks will win the Super Bowl on Sunday
The Seahawks take on the New England Patriots in Arizona

Published: 18:33 EDT, 29 January 2015 | Updated: 21:41 EDT, 29 January 2015

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Evander Holyfield reckons the Seattle Seahawks are the Real Deal thanks to their formidable defense.

The former undisputed heavyweight champion of the world likened the Super Bowl to winning boxing’s ultimate prize, but the 52-year-old said he would not swap any of his belts for a ring.

‘I’m an Atlanta Falcons fan. And Atlanta just happens to be in the NFC. And so the Seahawks and the Falcons happen to be cousins. So I’m going with my cousins.

Former boxing champions Evander Holyfield backs the Seattle Seahawks to win the Super Bowl

Holyfield (right) knocks down Lou Savarese (left) in El Paso in 2007

Holyfield believes that the Seattle Sounders defense will help them to win the Super Bowl

‘I’m going to have to go for the Seahawks, because the Seahawks have got the best defense. You can’t win without defense,’ Holyfield explained.

‘When you are the heavyweight champion of the world, everywhere you go, everybody knows you are the heavyweight champion of the world. Everybody may forget who won them rings. They may think that you sold that ring. They make think that you made that ring but when you are heavyweight champion of the world, everybody knows who you are,’ the man mountain added.

Holyfield, who famously had a chunk of his ear bitten off by a rabid Mike Tyson in 1997, scoffed at comparing boxing with the NFL.

‘In boxing you only have yourself. In football you got ten other people to depend on. Quite different, you know. Seven seconds then you rest. Comparative, you’ve got three minutes and you’ve got this guy on you. Ain’t no time outs!’

Evander Holyfield was speaking on behalf of Real Deal Bet, which launches in the UK in March