Holyfield likely to fight on

      One of the rituals of boxing is that when a popular, successful champion reaches a certain age, the media repeatedly ask if he plans to retire until he does. Then, after retirement, the question shifts to plans for the inevitable comeback.
      Evander Holyfield is starting to drift into that territory, but he isn't ready to talk retirement yet. He was asked numerous times about his plans Tuesday following a training session at the MGM Grand in preparation for his rematch with Mike Tyson on Saturday.
      Holyfield, though, refused to give in. At one point, he said he would answer after the fight Saturday, but mostly, he seemed to indicate he planned to keep fighting. But that line of questioning seemed to amuse him.
      "Why do you guys want me to retire?" Holyfield said, wearing a cockeyed grin.
      Holyfield is, however, in the area that has been so dangerous for heavyweights. Few heavyweights of recent vintage have been his age or older and succeeded in world title fights.
      Holyfield, who will defend his World Boxing Association crown at the MGM, has been putting on the gloves and trudging into the ring for 27 of his 34 years.
      Many great fighters have seen their skills eroded and reflexes slowed by the time they hit their mid-30s, but Holyfield dismisses such talk.
      And he would seem to have a point, since he has always been one of the sport's best conditioned fighters and fought the fight of his life just a few weeks past his 34th birthday when he stopped Tyson in 11 rounds on Nov. 9 in their first fight.
      "Age is just a number," Holyfield said. "It's how well you take care of yourself. I know I have a good team of (trainers and conditioners), and they've helped me to take good care of myself. You only have one body, and what you do to it is how it's going to affect you."
      Holyfield has fought for 13 years as a professional, including some wars against Riddick Bowe.
      But he said the years and the poundings have not hurt him. He said it was just the opposite. He said he is better now than he was when he first won the undisputed title from Buster Douglas on Oct. 25, 1990, when he was seemingly in his prime at 28.
      "I have better skills now," Holyfield said. "I have good coaches in Don Turner and Tommy (Brooks) and Tim (Hallmark). They've helped prepare me, and they look at the tapes and see the things that I need to do to take things to another level."
      Holyfield said he knows Tyson is going to try to take things to another level in order to avenge his loss. The Holyfield camp is anticipating a more aggressive Tyson, one who is constantly moving forward, but Holyfield seems unfazed by a Tyson strategy change.
      He said he must make Tyson pay for his misses by punishing him with hard counter shots.
      "(To win), I have to force my will upon him and make him fight my fight," Holyfield said. "I have to be able to capitalize on his mistakes and minimize my mistakes."
      Holyfield didn't make many mistakes in that first fight and what few he did make, Tyson couldn't take advantage of because he had absorbed such a pounding. But because of his phenomenal punching power, Tyson is always dangerous, and Holyfield knows he can't relax.
      But he isn't in position to say whether Tyson is the best puncher he has faced because he hasn't really taken Tyson's best shot.
      "The whole object of this game," he said, a big smile creasing his face, "is to not get hit. Mike Tyson's supposed to have a lot of power, but I don't want to try to find out."
      And that is how 34-year-olds can fight for -- and win -- the heavyweight championship.